Alphabet Inc.’s Google is facing damage claims of at least €12 billion from numerous price comparison platforms across the European Union. These sites accuse the tech giant of diverting their customers by abusing its dominance in search and advertising, according to a Bloomberg News analysis.
The lawsuits stem from a 2017 ruling by the European Commission, which fined Google €2.4 billion for using its market power to unfairly promote its own shopping service. This sparked a wave of so-called “follow-on” claims, which had been on hold while Google appealed the decision. However, after a tribunal upheld the antitrust violation last year, EU-based plaintiffs are no longer required to prove Google’s misconduct in court, allowing many of these cases to proceed.
Twelve ongoing civil cases have been identified across seven European countries. Not all of the courts and parties involved were willing to disclose how much was at stake. However, the value of nine of the claims exceeds €12 billion.
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Mounting Legal Challenges and Potential Ripple Effects for Google in Europe
The suits, which have proliferated in recent years, represent a new front in Google’s legal battles in Europe. If successful, they could encourage more companies to take action against the tech titan. This would be in addition to the fines already handed down by EU regulators.
Christian Kersting, a law professor at Düsseldorf University, said the amounts claimed in follow-on suits are often many times higher. These amounts surpass the EU penalties for the same activity. The claims also compound the company’s legal headaches. This comes at a moment when the US Department of Justice is seeking to force Google to spin off key parts of its advertising and search browser businesses. The move follows losses in two antitrust cases. These additional legal challenges add to the pressure on the tech giant.
Google denies that any of the European civil suits have merit. The company, valued at just under $2 trillion as of early May, declined to say how many claims were brought around the antitrust decision, or the amounts in question.
Many of the cases will soon have their day in court. At the end of June, a London judge will consider a £1 billion ($1.6 billion) claim by the British website Kelkoo and the now-defunct site Foundem. In September, a court in Amsterdam will hear oral arguments in a suit brought by the Dutch company Compare Group.
