European Union hits Google hard

Global efforts to crimp the power of the world’s largest technology companies scored an important legal victory on Wednesday when an EU court gave its blessing to a record multibillion-dollar fine issued against Google in 2018.

The decision, by the General Court in Luxembourg, provides fresh momentum to European regulators who have investigated companies like Google, Amazon and Apple for anti-competitive business practices.

The fine of €4.34 billion (worth $5.1 billion in 2018) was the largest ever handed out by a European competition authority. The court on Wednesday agreed that Google broke antitrust laws by using its Android smartphone technology and its dominance in that market to cement the leadership of its search engine.