A Berlin court has ruled that Google must pay €465 million ($542 million) to German price comparison platform Idealo for market abuse, marking one of Europe's largest antitrust penalties this year. The verdict found Google abused its dominant market position between 2008 and 2023, with an additional €107 million awarded to Producto, another German comparison service.
Idealo, owned by Axel Springer, vowed to continue legal action against the tech giant. "Market abuse must have consequences," stated Idealo co-founder Albrecht von Sonntag, emphasizing the need to prevent monopolistic practices from becoming profitable business models.
Google rejected the ruling, announcing plans to appeal. A company spokesperson highlighted 2017 reforms to its shopping comparison services, claiming "1,550 price comparison sites in Europe" now use its updated system. The case underscores ongoing tensions between regulators and Big Tech over fair competition in digital markets.
