Google has successfully convinced the European Union’s General Court to annul the €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) penalty imposed on it in 2019 for abusive practices in online advertising. The General Court agreed with the Commission’s assessment that Google blocked rival advertisers, but argued that all relevant circumstances were not considered in determining the duration of anti-competitive practices. Google prohibited publishers from placing search adverts from competitors on its search results pages from 2006 to 2009, and fined the company based on the duration and gravity of the infringement. Despite this, Google made changes to its contracts in 2016 before the Commission’s decision, leading to the fine being annulled after recognized errors. The European Commission has imposed multiple fines on Google over the years, including a $2.7 billion penalty upheld by the EU’s highest court in 2017. Margrethe Vestager, the EU Commissioner for Competition, known for her tough stance on big tech companies, is stepping down soon. Her actions have prompted the creation of the Digital Markets Act to prevent market abuse by industry leaders.
