Google set to face record EU antitrust fine as soon as Tuesday

2 min readUpdated May 17, 2025Jun 28, 20171:17 AM

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EU antitrust regulators are likely to impose a record fine on Alphabet unit Google over its shopping service as soon as Tuesday, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday, concluding one of three cases against the company.

The European Commission’s case was triggered by scores of complaints from both U.S. and European rivals, leading to a seven-year-long investigation into the world’s most popular internet search engine.

The EU competition authority charged Google in April 2015 with distorting internet search results to favor its shopping service, harming both rivals and consumers.

The Commission declined to comment.

Google said: “We continue to engage constructively with the European Commission and we believe strongly that our innovations in online shopping have been good for shoppers, retailers and competition.”

The company has said regulators ignored competition from online retailers Amazon and eBay Inc.

Reuters exclusively reported on June 1 that the EU competition enforcer aimed to sanction the company before the summer break in August.

Companies found guilty of infringing EU antitrust rules can be fined as much as 10 percent of their global turnover, which in Google’s case could be about $9 billion of its 2016 turnover but it is not expected to reach this level.

A 1.06 billion euro fine handed down to U.S. chipmaker Intel in 2009 is the highest to date.

Apart from the fine, the Commission will tell Google to stop its alleged anti-competitive practices but it is not clear what measures it will order the company to adopt to ensure that rivals get equal treatment in internet shopping results.

The Commission’s tough line is in sharp contrast with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission which settled its own web search case with the company in 2013 by requiring Google to stop “scraping” reviews and other data from rival websites for its own products.

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What this means

The imminent record EU antitrust fine against Google, while a substantial penalty, is unlikely to fundamentally alter its market position in online shopping. Google’s persistent argument that Amazon and eBay are its primary competitors is notable; however, the Commission’s focus on its search dominance remains. This action pressures Google to adapt its search results, much like Apple’s recent collaboration with Google on AI to power Siri illustrates how major tech players are constantly refining offerings. The real challenge for Google will be implementing the ordered remedies without significantly compromising its search algorithm's commercial value. We should monitor the fine's final amount and the exact anti-competitive practices the Commission instructs Google to cease.

Aiko Tanaka · Retail News Asia newsroom

Questions & Answers

What is Google specifically accused of doing?

The EU competition authority charged Google with distorting internet search results to favour its own shopping service, which harmed both rivals and consumers.

What is the maximum penalty Google could face for this infringement?

Companies infringing EU antitrust rules can be fined up to 10 percent of their global turnover, which for Google could be around $9 billion based on its 2016 figures.

What was the previous record for an EU antitrust fine?

The highest EU antitrust fine to date was 1.06 billion euros, which was handed down to U.S. Chipmaker Intel in 2009.

Will the Commission only impose a fine, or will there be other requirements?

Apart from the fine, the Commission will instruct Google to cease its alleged anti-competitive practices, though the specific measures for ensuring equal treatment for rivals are not yet clear.

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