EU Court Upholds Record €4.1 Billion Antitrust Fine Against Google Over Android

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has upheld a record €4.125 billion ($4.4 billion) antitrust fine against Google, confirming a landmark victory for European Union regulators. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, dismisses the tech giant's final appeal against findings that it used its Android mobile operating system to stifle market competition. The European Commission originally issued the penalty in 2018, initially set at €4.34 billion before a lower court reduced it to €4.125 billion in 2022. The ECJ’s decision marks the end of a six-year legal battle, affirming that Google imposed illegal restrictions on manufacturers of Android devices and mobile network operators to cement its dominant position in internet search. Monopoly Practices Confirmed Regulators found that Google required manufacturers to pre-install the Google Search app and Chrome browser as a condition for licensing the Google Play Store. Additionally, the company was found to have paid certain large manufacturers and mobile network operators to exclusively pre-install Google Search on their devices, effectively blocking rivals from the market. Google had argued that its practices were designed to keep Android…