EU Court cancels Google’s 1.5B euro fine

The EU General Court has annulled a 1.5 billion euro fine imposed on Google by the European Commission in a 2019 antitrust case, questioning the duration assessment of contractual clauses deemed unfair. The fine had been levied for exploiting a dominant position in the advertising market to prevent competitors from displaying ads on third-party websites. This overturning marks a setback for competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who recently celebrated victories against Google and Apple. Although the court agreed with many of the Commission’s assessments, it required a more comprehensive consideration of contract clause lengths. Google can still appeal the decision, and the fine represents a fraction of the 60 billion kroner Google has been fined in three cases. The cancellation by the General Court may be appealed to the Court of Justice, the highest body of the EU’s judicial institution.