Google hits setback in bid to overturn multibillion EU antitrust fine in Android case
The European Court of Justice's advocate general, Juliane Kokott, recommended in a non-binding opinion that Google's appeal against the fine worth more than 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) should be dismissed.
The case dates back to 2018, when the EU's executive Commission slapped Google with a 4.134 billion euro fine after finding that the U.S. tech company used the dominance of its mobile Android operating system to throttle competition and reduce consumer choice.
After Google filed an initial appeal, a lower court trimmed the penalty to 4.125 billion euros in 2022, which the company also appealed to the Court of Justice.
Kokott advised that the Court of Justice confirm the fine and uphold the lower court's judgment, according to a press release summarising her opinion.
Google said it was disappointed with the opinion, adding that if the court follows it, it "would discourage investment in open platforms and harm Android users, partners and app developers.'
″Android has created more choice for everyone and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world," the company said in a statement.
Opinions from the advocate general aren't legally binding but are often followed by judges.
The judges 'are now beginning their deliberations in this case. Judgment will be given at a later date,' the court said.
The fine was one of three antitrust penalties totaling more than 8 billion euros that the European Commission slapped on Google in the last decade, as the 27-nation bloc launched its crackdown on Big Tech companies.
Google still faces a decision from Brussels in an antitrust case targeting its digital ad business.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
30 minutes ago
- Mint
Will the EU delay enforcing its AI Act?
Parts of EU's AI Act due to come into force on August 2 Publication of key guidance document has been delayed Some companies, politicians call for delay STOCKHOLM, July 3 (Reuters) - With less than a month to go before parts of the European Union's AI Act come into force, companies are calling for a pause in the provisions and getting support from some politicians. Groups representing big U.S. tech companies such as Google owner Alphabet and Facebook owner Meta, and European companies such as Mistral and ASML have urged the European Commission to delay the AI Act by years. WHAT IS THE AUGUST 2 DEADLINE? Under the landmark act that was passed a year earlier after intense debate between EU countries, its provisions would come into effect in a staggered manner over several years. Some important provisions, including rules for general purpose AI (GPAI) models, are due to apply on August 2. GPAI, which includes foundation models like those made by Google, Mistral and OpenAI, will be subject to transparency requirements such as drawing up technical documentation, complying with EU copyright law and providing detailed summaries about the content used for algorithm training. The companies will also need to test for bias, toxicity, and robustness before launching. AI models classed as posing a systemic risk and high-impact GPAI will have to conduct model evaluations, assess and mitigate risks, conduct adversarial testing, report to the European Commission on serious incidents and provide information on their energy efficiency. WHY DO COMPANIES WANT A PAUSE? For AI companies, the enforcement of the act means additional costs for compliance. And for ones that make AI models, the requirements are tougher. But companies are also unsure how to comply with the rules as there are no guidelines yet. The AI Code of Practice, a guidance document to help AI developers to comply with the act, missed its publication date of May 2. "To address the uncertainty this situation is creating, we urge the Commission to propose a two-year 'clock-stop' on the AI Act before key obligations enter into force," said an open letter published on Thursday by a group of 45 European companies. It also called for simplification of the new rules. Another concern is that the act may stifle innovation, particularly in Europe where companies have smaller compliance teams than their U.S. counterparts. The European Commission has not yet commented on whether it will postpone the enforcement of the new rules in August. However, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen promised on Wednesday to publish the AI Code of Practice before next month. Some political leaders, such as Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, have also called the AI rules "confusing" and asked the EU to pause the act. "A bold 'stop-the-clock' intervention is urgently needed to give AI developers and deployers legal certainty, as long as necessary standards remain unavailable or delayed," tech lobbying group CCIA Europe said.
Mint
30 minutes ago
- Mint
Google home introduces new features, gives more control to family and friends
Managing a smart home in 2025 means juggling convenience, privacy, and control. With its latest update, Google has made that a little easier. The Google Home app now lets users share access to smart devices more flexibly, introducing new permission levels for friends, roommates, and even kids, all while keeping security in check. Google Home app version 3.33 brings a game-changing update: the introduction of a new 'Member' role. Until now, sharing your smart home meant handing over near-total access. Not any more.= With this update, you can invite others as Admins (full access) or Members (limited access). Members get precisely the permissions you choose, like: Activity access: View device logs or home history, such as Wi-Fi usage or camera footage. Settings access: Manage specific devices, automations, or preferences without control over the whole home. This lets you share control without giving away the keys to everything. In a first, children under 13 (or the local minimum age) can be added as Members, if they're part of your Google family group. Kids can do simple things like play music, adjust lights, or unlock doors (within limits). They can't remove devices or change critical settings. This is especially useful for working parents or families with kids returning home before adults, convenient, but with tight guardrails. Here's a breakdown of what each role can access: Permission Admin Member (Settings) Member (Activity) Add/remove people Yes No No Delete home Yes No No Add/remove devices Yes No No Manage automations/settings Yes Yes No View device/home history Yes No Yes Control devices (e.g., lights) Yes Yes Yes Admins can assign both Settings and Activity access to a Member—or just one, depending on what's needed. This update brings real flexibility to smart homes: Share light and music controls with trusted guests—without giving them camera access. Let kids unlock the door after school without touching home security settings. Roommates can fine-tune their automations without being able to remove your devices. The bottom line: you stay in control, but others can contribute meaningfully to the home experience.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Rupee rises 31 paise to close at 85.31 against US dollar
The rupee pared initial losses and jumped 31 paise to close at 85.31 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, following a weak greenback against major crosses overseas and a decline in US treasury yields. Forex traders said the dollar declined on weaker-than-expected ADP Non-Farm Employment data from the US. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Få din gratis 30 dages prøveperiode med Oticon Real Bedste Høreapparater Lær mere Undo A decline in global crude oil prices also supported the local unit, they added. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Ads By Google Ad will close in 30 Skip ad in 5 Skip Ad At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 85.69 against the American currency and touched an intra-day high of 85.19 and a low of 85.70 during the session. The local unit finally settled at 85.31 (provisional), 31 paise higher than its previous closing price. Live Events On Wednesday, the rupee depreciated 3 paise to close at 85.62 against the US dollar. "The Indian rupee rose sharply on Friday on a weak US Dollar and a decline in US treasury yields. A decline in crude oil prices also favoured the rupee. However, weak domestic markets capped sharp gains," said Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan. The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.05 per cent to 96.82. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell by 1.01 per cent to USD 68.41 per barrel in futures trade . "We expect the rupee to strengthen on a weak US Dollar and rise in risk appetite in global markets. Overall, a weak tone in crude oil may also support the domestic currency. However, uncertainty over trade tariffs may cap sharp gains," Choudhary said. Going ahead, traders may take cues from the Non-Farm payrolls report from the US. "USD/INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 84.90 to 85.60," Choudhary said. Meanwhile, in the domestic equity market, the Sensex declined 170.22 points or 0.20 per cent to 83,239.47, while Nifty fell 48.10 points or 0.19 per cent to 25,405.30. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,561.62 crore on a net basis on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
