Europe's top court has dealt Google a decisive blow, upholding a record €4.1bn (£3.5bn) fine for using its Android mobile operating system to block rivals. The European Commission had originally imposed a €4.3bn penalty in 2018, later trimmed to €4.1bn in 2022, and the tech giant's final appeal has now been dismissed.
The fine is the largest the Commission has ever levied against Google. It stems from three allegations: that Google required manufacturers to pre-install its Search app and Chrome browser as a condition for offering the Play app store; that it paid large manufacturers and mobile network operators to exclusively pre-install Google Search; and that it prevented manufacturers from selling devices powered by alternative ‘forked’ Android versions by threatening to withhold app licensing. Google has acknowledged that its version of Android does not stop users from downloading rival browsers or search engines.
“Europe's top court upheld Google's €4.1bn fine for using Android to block rivals, rejecting the company's final appeal.”
A Google spokesperson said the judgment “fails to recognise” the company’s “significant investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free”. The statement added: “In any event, we adapted our agreements to comply with the initial decision back in 2018 and we remain focused on continued innovation and openness for our users, partners and developers.”
When the original fine was announced, Google’s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, blogged that the decision “rejects the business model that supports Android, which has created more choice for everyone, not less.”
This is not the first time Brussels has taken aim at Google’s parent company, Alphabet. In September 2024 the Commission fined Google €2.4bn (£2bn) for abusing market dominance in shopping-comparison services. A year later, in September 2025, it imposed a further €2.95bn (£2.5bn) penalty for favouring its own products when displaying online ads.
Despite the record EU fine, it is not the largest ever imposed on Google. In October 2024 a Russian court ordered the company to pay two undecillion roubles – a sum exceeding the world’s total GDP – for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube.