Google fined $665M for abusing market dominance in Germany
What's the story
A Berlin court has ordered Google to pay damages of €572 million ($665 million) to two German companies for "market abuse." The tech giant was directed to pay €465 million to Idealo and €107 million to Producto, both price comparison platforms based in Germany. The court found that Google had abused its dominant position by favoring its own service, Google Shopping, in search results.
Legal battle
Idealo's legal action and Google's defense
Idealo had sued Google, accusing the Alphabet subsidiary of "self-preferencing" its own platforms, creating an unfair market environment that stifled competition. The company initially sought damages worth at least €3.3 billion in 2025. In its defense, Google claimed it had made changes in 2017 to give competing shopping platforms equal opportunities as Google Shopping to display ads on Google Search.
Ongoing litigation
Idealo vows to continue legal pressure on Google
Despite the court's ruling, Idealo has vowed to keep up the legal pressure on Google. The company argues that "the amount awarded reflects only a fraction of the actual damage." Albrecht von Sonntag, co-founder and advisory board member at Idealo, said in a press release that "abuse of dominance must have consequences and must not be a profitable business model that pays off despite fines and damages."
Past cases
Google's history of legal troubles in Europe
This isn't the first time Google has faced legal trouble in Europe. The company has been accused of favoring its own services like Google Flights and Google Hotels in search results. The European Union has even threatened massive fines for violating its Digital Markets Act. Just a month ago, the European Commission had slapped a fine of nearly €3 billion ($3.4 billion) on Google for anti-competitive practices in the advertising tech industry.
CEO statement
Idealo's CEO comments on the ruling
Following the court's decision, Idealo's co-founder and CEO Albrecht von Sonntag said, "We welcome the court holding Google accountable. But the consequences of self-favoring go far beyond the amount awarded." He added that they will continue to fight against Google because "market abuse must have consequences and must not become a lucrative business model that is worthwhile despite fines and compensation payments."
Company statement
Google's response to the ruling
In response to the court's decision, Google has said it plans to appeal both rulings. A company spokesperson said, "The changes we made in 2017 are working well, with no intervention from the European Commission." They also claimed that rival comparison shopping services are given the same opportunity as Google Shopping for ad display and that Google Shopping operates independently like any other business participating in auctions.