The European Union has upheld a record fine against Google for abusing its dominance in the smartphone market.
The EU initiated a case against Google in 2015, accusing the company of using its dominance in the smartphone market to force other companies to use its other products. The court fined Google a record 4.34 billion euros, leading to Google appealing the decision.
According to NBC News, The European Union’s General Court has upheld the fine, although it did drop it slightly to 4.125 billion euros ($4.12 billion).
At the same time, the court said it “largely confirms the European Commission’s decision that Google imposed unlawful restrictions on manufacturers of Android mobile devices and mobile network operators to consolidate the dominant position of its search engine.”
The issue stems from Google’s requirement that any company using the Android operating system on their smartphones must also bundle the Chrome web browser and use Google’s search engine as the default. The EU court found those requirements monopolistic, given Android’s 80% market share in Europe.
For its part, Google expressed its disappointment in the decision, giving the following statement to NBC:
“We are disappointed that the Court did not annul the decision in full. Android has created more choice for everyone, not less, and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world.”
