Google Facing at Least €12 Billion in Civil Claims Across Europe
The tech giant was hit with a €2.4 billion fine in the EU over its shopping search service. Suits from alleged victims could add billions more.
The Google Docks building, background center, in the 'Silicon Docks' area of Dublin.
Photographer: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/BloombergAlphabet Inc.’s Google is facing at least €12 billion ($13.3 billion) in damage claims from dozens of price comparison websites across the European Union which allege that the search and advertising giant stole their customers, according to a Bloomberg News review.
The civil suits are linked to a 2017 decision by the European Commission to fine Google €2.4 billion for illegally leveraging its search dominance to give its own shopping service an edge. That unleashed a wave of so-called “follow-on” suits, which were delayed for years as Google appealed. Then, last year, a tribunal confirmed that the company did violate antitrust laws — meaning EU-based plaintiffs no longer have to prove that in court. Many of the cases are now moving ahead.