Google Triumphs Over EU Antitrust Fine

Google successfully appealed against a 1.49 billion euro antitrust fine imposed by the European Union five years ago. The General Court annulled the European Commission's decision, which targeted Google's online advertising business for restrictive exclusivity clauses in contracts with third-party websites.

Google won a significant legal victory on Wednesday, overturning a 1.49 billion euro antitrust fine levied by the European Union five years ago.

The EU's General Court announced it had annulled the 2019 penalty handed down by the European Commission, the bloc's primary antitrust authority.

The fine targeted Google's placement of exclusivity clauses in advertising contracts, which regulators said reduced competition and potentially increased costs for advertisers and consumers. The court's decision marks a major setback for the EU's antitrust enforcement efforts against big tech companies.

(With inputs from agencies.)