Google spent years fighting a massive European antitrust penalty. It lost.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) dismissed Google's final appeal on July 2, 2026, confirming a 4.1 billion euro ($4.67 billion) fine.
The case started back in 2015 when the European Commission began investigating Google's practices with Android. In 2018, the Commission fined Google 4.34 billion euros. The allegation stated that Google exploited its Android control to favor its own apps by entering into agreements with manufacturers to pre-install them.
The ECJ agreed with the lower court's 2022 decision that cut the fine from 4.34 billion to 4.1 billion euros. In a press release, the court said it "dismisses the appeal brought by Google and Alphabet against that judgment... thereby confirming the penalty imposed on them."
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Google pushed back. A spokesperson said: "Android provides more choice for everyone and supports thousands of businesses. This judgment fails to recognize our significant investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free." The company added that it already changed its agreements back in 2018 to comply.
The €4.1 billion Android fine is part of a string of antitrust actions against Google. In addition to this penalty, the Commission last year hit Google with a €2.95 billion fine for monopolistic practices in its ad tech business. These cases represent the EU's traditional approach, but regulators are now pivoting to proactive regulation under the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, which aim to prevent anti-competitive behavior before it occurs.
Alex Haffner, a partner at law firm Fladgate, called the decision "particularly important in so far as it represents the end of what might be termed the European Commission's 'first stage' battle with big tech." That first stage used traditional competition law to punish companies like Google.
But the EU is now turning to new rules. Haffner noted: "More recently, the Commission's focus has switched to the legislative tools at its disposal, particularly the Digital Services Act, to regulate Big Tech and it's likely therefore that this will be the regulatory focus moving forward."
This shift comes as U.S. officials push back. President Donald Trump has criticized the EU's treatment of American technology companies and recently said he would place a 100% tariff on products from any nation that enacts a digital services tax on American firms. Andrew Puzder, the top U.S. envoy to the European Union, told CNBC in March that Europe "can't over regulate" and must refrain from heavy fines if it wants a role in the AI economy.
The 4.1 billion euro penalty is final. The European Commission's regulatory focus is now shifting from traditional antitrust cases to newer laws like the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act.
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