EU Advocate-General Backs €4.12B Google Android Antitrust Fine

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has recommended upholding the European Union's €4.12 billion fine against Google for abusing its dominant position in the Android ecosystem to stifle competition. The ruling highlights Google's practices of tying Play Store licenses to the pre-installation of Search and Chrome, enforcing anti-fragmentation agreements, and leveraging ad-revenue sharing to exclude rivals and consolidate user data, thereby reinforcing its search engine monopoly. Although this opinion is non-binding, the ECJ typically follows such advice, signaling a likely final judgment in favor of the EU's antitrust case later this year. Google has argued that the Android platform enhances consumer choice and supports businesses, but the Advocate General dismissed claims that regulators should compare Google to a hypothetical equally efficient competitor. This case is part of a broader EU campaign against Big Tech's gatekeeper tactics, with additional investigations targeting Google's advertising technology business underway. The outcome will have significant implications for regulation of dominant tech platforms worldwide.