The adviser to Europe’s highest court has recommended upholding the 2.42-billion-euro antitrust fine levied against Google’s parent company, Alphabet. In 2017, the European Commission imposed the substantial fine on Alphabet for allegedly leveraging its proprietary price comparison shopping service to unfairly outpace smaller competitors within the European market. Juliane Kokott, the Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), has advised that the court should affirm the penalty imposed on Google, amounting to 2.4 billion euros, for showing preferential treatment to its in-house comparison shopping platform. The specific case in question is identified as C-48/22 P, titled “Google and Alphabet v Commission.” (With Reuters inputs)
I believe that the fine against Google’s parent company, Alphabet, should be upheld. It is important to prevent large corporations from unfairly leveraging their power to stifle competition and harm smaller businesses. This case highlights the need for fair competition within the European market and sends a strong message that antitrust violations will not be tolerated. It is essential for regulators to hold tech giants accountable for their actions and ensure a level playing field for all businesses.