Google fined record €2.4b by EU in anti-trust case

BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) slapped Google with a record 2.4 billion (RM11.5 billion) anti-trust fine yesterday, in a fresh assault on a US tech giant that risks the wrath of President Donald Trump.

Hard-charging European Commission competition chief Margrethe Vestager said Google had “abused its market dominance” as the world’s most popular search engine to give illegal advantage to its own shopping service.

“What Google has done is illegal under EU anti-trust rules. It denied other companies the chance to compete on the merits and to innovate,” Vestager said in a statement.

“And most importantly, it denied European consumers a genuine choice of services and the full benefits of innovation.”

The fine broke the previous EU record for a monopoly case against US chipmaker Intel of 1.06 billion.

Google said it “respectfully” disagreed with the EU decision, which followed a seven-year investigation, and may appeal.

“When you shop online, you want to find the products you’re looking for quickly and easily. And advertisers want to promote those same products,” Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice-president and general counsel, said in a statement.

“That’s why Google shows shopping ads, connecting our users with thousands of advertisers, large and small, in ways that are useful for both.

“We will review the Commission’s decision in detail as we consider an appeal, and we look forward to continuing to make our case.”

The case, launched in 2010, is one of three against Google and of several against blockbuster US companies including Starbucks, Apple, Amazon and McDonald’s. – AFP