A German court has ruled that Google abused its dominant market position in the price comparison sector, ordering the tech giant to pay €572 million ($665.6 million) in damages to two local comparison platforms, according to Reuters.
Idealo and Producto Win Landmark Damages
Under the ruling, Google must pay €465 million to Idealo, one of Germany’s largest price comparison websites, and €107 million to Producto, another comparison tool affected by Google’s alleged self-preferencing practices.
The case stems from a broader EU antitrust finding in 2024, when the European Court of Justice ruled that 2024, when the European Court of Justice ruled that Google unfairly promoted its own shopping comparison service in search results. That decision came with a $2.7 billion fine and paved the way for regional lawsuits like Idealo’s.
Despite securing substantial compensation, Idealo says it won’t stop here. The company originally sought €3.3 billion in damages and plans to continue pursuing the full amount.
“We welcome the court holding Google accountable,” said Idealo CEO Albrecht von Sonntag. “But the consequences of self-favoring go far beyond the amount awarded. We will continue to fight, because market abuse must have consequences and must not become a lucrative business model.”
Google to Appeal, Defends Its Practices
Google strongly disagrees with the ruling and confirmed it will appeal both decisions.
In a statement, a Google spokesperson said the company’s 2017 reforms have been effective, noting that the number of price comparison services participating in its Shopping Unit expanded from only 7 providers to 1,550 today.
Google insists it offers rival services equal footing:
- Google Shopping operates as if it were an independent business,
- Competes in ad auctions under the same rules,
- And does not receive privileged placement.
Growing Scrutiny Across the EU
This latest ruling lands shortly after another major penalty: the EU recently fined Google €2.95 billion for allegedly favoring its own advertising services, another breach of European antitrust rules.
In addition, EU regulators are still investigating how Google’s spam and search ranking policies may be affecting publishers, suggesting the search giant will remain under tight scrutiny for the foreseeable future.
As Idealo pushes forward with its pursuit of full damages and Google prepares for another legal battle, the case underscores the intensifying clash between tech giants and European competition authorities, especially when it comes to search dominance and self-preferencing practices.
