Alphabet's Google has lost its final appeal against a multibillion-euro European Union antitrust penalty over its Android mobile operating system, handing regulators a major victory in efforts to curb the power of Big Tech.
Europe's highest court on Thursday upheld a €4.1 billion ($4.8 billion) fine imposed over Google's business practices involving Android, bringing to an end a legal battle that has lasted nearly eight years.
The case stems from a 2018 decision by the European Commission, which originally fined Google €4.34 billion.
Regulators found that Google required smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search, the Chrome browser and the Google Play Store on Android devices as a condition of licensing its software.
The Commission also found that Google prevented manufacturers from using alternative versions of Android, limiting competition in the mobile operating system market.
A lower EU court reduced the fine to €4.1 billion in 2022 but upheld the Commission's core findings. Google subsequently appealed to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which has now dismissed the company's challenge.
Following the ruling, a Google spokesperson said the judgment failed to recognise the company's investment in Android.
The company argued that it has worked to keep Android "open, interoperable and free", maintaining that the platform has benefited consumers and developers alike.
The ruling adds to Google's growing list of antitrust penalties in Europe. The company has accumulated nearly €11 billion in EU fines over the past decade for various competition law violations.
Google also faces further regulatory action under the Digital Markets Act, which is designed to limit the market power of major technology companies.
EU regulators are currently investigating whether Google unfairly favours its own products and services in search results and whether its app store practices comply with the bloc's new digital competition rules.
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Slovak President Peter Pellegrini says cooperation with Azerbaijan is moving beyond formal diplomacy, with new opportunities emerging in energy, defence, cybersecurity, trade and education.
A woman whose husband was sucked out of the window of a plane during a Ryanair flight has recounted pulling her husband to safety. Serbian couple Svetlana Maksimovic and Ljubisa Karovic had just settled into a flight with the airline last week, when a loud bang pierced the hum of engines.
Keir Starmer has reaffirmed that the UK's "unwavering" support for Ukraine will continue, during his final visit to the country as Prime Minister.
Pakistan is set to become a founding member of the China-led World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar travelling to Shanghai on Thursday to sign the founding agreement during a two-day visit.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks on Tuesday, with Kyiv targeting shipping and energy infrastructure inside Russia while Moscow launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.
Keir Starmer has reaffirmed that the UK's "unwavering" support for Ukraine will continue, during his final visit to the country as Prime Minister.
Two British hackers who carried out a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL) that cost the transport authority £29 million to remediate have been jailed for a total of 11 years.
At least 11 people have been killed and 19 injured in a fire at an orphanage on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, state media reported. The blaze broke out early on Thursday at the institution in the eastern suburbs of Algiers.
A woman whose husband was sucked out of the window of a plane during a Ryanair flight has recounted pulling her husband to safety. Serbian couple Svetlana Maksimovic and Ljubisa Karovic had just settled into a flight with the airline last week, when a loud bang pierced the hum of engines.
Russia launched a fresh wave of missile strikes on Ukraine early on Thursday, saying it had hit military and industrial facilities in Kyiv, as well as key port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region.
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