EU Top Court Adviser Recommends Upholding Google €4.12B Android Fine

Google has suffered a significant setback in its effort to overturn a €4.12 billion ($4.7 billion) European Union antitrust fine related to its Android mobile operating system, after Juliane Kokott, advocate general of the European Court of Justice, recommended that the appeal be dismissed. The fine, originally imposed in 2018 and slightly reduced by a lower court in 2022, found that Google used its dominance in the Android ecosystem to restrict competition and strengthen its position for its search engine, thereby limiting consumer choice. Although the advocate general's opinion is non-binding, it is often followed by the court, which is expected to issue a ruling in the coming months. Google expressed disappointment, arguing that upholding the fine would discourage investment in open platforms and harm Android users and partners. This fine is part of a broader crackdown by the EU on Big Tech, with Google having faced over €8 billion in penalties over the past decade. Despite the legal challenges, market analysts maintain a positive outlook on Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, with an