Google loses appeal against $4.7 billion Android antitrust fine

• The appeal dismissed a challenge to the reduced 2022 penalty.
• Google said it had already changed its agreements after the 2018 decision.
• The Android case remains the European Commission's largest fine against Google.

Google has lost its appeal against a €4.1 billion ($4.7bn) antitrust fine after Europe's top court upheld a ruling that the tech giant used its Android mobile operating system to block rivals.

As reported by The BBC, the European Commission originally imposed a €4.3bn ($4.9bn) penalty in 2018 before it was reduced to €4.1bn in 2022. 

The latest ruling dismisses Google's appeal, leaving the reduced fine in place. It remains the largest penalty the Commission has imposed on the company.

The Commission found Google had required Android device makers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome to gain access to the Play Store. It also paid manufacturers and mobile operators to exclusively pre-install Google Search and prevented manufacturers from selling devices running alternative versions of Android.

Google responds

A Google spokesperson said the judgment "fails to recognise" the company's "significant investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free".

“In any event, we adapted our agreements to comply with the initial decision back in 2018 and we remain focused on continued innovation and openness for our users, partners and developers," said a Google spokesperson. 

Earlier this year, Aptoide filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in a federal court in San Francisco, alleging the company unlawfully restricts competition in the Android app ecosystem through its control of app distribution and in-app billing. 

The alternative app store claims that Google's practices prevent rivals from growing despite offering lower commissions and it is seeking an injunction, along with unspecified damages.