Tech giant Google is facing yet another antitrust lawsuit, this time a suit in Europe potentially worth $2.4 billion over its online shopping service unfairly favoring the tech giant’s own offerings by “abusing its dominant position.”
Engadget reports that Sweden-based price comparison service PriceRunner is suing Google for €2.1 billion ($2.4 billion) following a ruling from a European court stating that Google violated European Union antitrust laws. The European Union’s General Court upheld a decision last November to fine Google €2.42 billion (US$2.8 billion) for favoring its own comparison shopping service.
Sundar Pichai CEO of Google ( Carsten Koall /Getty)
PriceRunner CEO Mikael Lindahl stated: “We are … seeking compensation for the damage Google has caused us during many years, but are also seeing this lawsuit as a fight for consumers who have suffered tremendously from Google’s infringement of the competition law for the past fourteen years and still today.”
PriceRunner is claiming that Google holds a “monopoly-like position” in Europe, stating that the company believes that Google has continued to fail to comply with the EU Commission’s previous ruling and is “abusing its dominant position.”
PriceRunner claims that Google diverted traffic and profits from it and other shopping services to the internet giant’s own price comparison service and that the offers Google provides to customers were at higher prices than competing services, harming consumers. PriceRunner stated: “Since the violation is still ongoing the amount of damages increases every day, we expect the final damages amount of the lawsuit to be significantly higher.”
Goole launched another appeal against the EU fine last month, stating: “We feel there are areas that require legal clarification from the European Court of Justice.”
Read more at Engadget here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com
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