The EU Supreme Court upheld a 760 billion yen fine against Google over Android, finally settling an eight-year antitrust battle.
On July 2, 2026, the European Court of Justice, the highest court in the European Union, rejected Google and its parent company Alphabet's appeal regarding Android-related contracts and upheld a fine of 4.125 billion euros (approximately 760 billion yen).
Google Android: the Court of Justice upholds Google's fine of around €4.1 billion
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Google loses fight against record €4.1 billion EU antitrust fine | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-top-court-dismisses-google-fight-against-record-41-billion-eu-antitrust-fine-2026-07-02/
Top EU court upholds Google Android fine in landmark antitrust case – POLITICO
https://www.politico.eu/article/top-eu-court-upholds-google-android-fine-in-landmark-antitrust-case/
The trial focused on how Google had given preferential treatment to Google Search and Google Chrome through contracts with Android device manufacturers and telecommunications carriers. In 2018, the European Commission fined Google 4,342,865,000 euros (approximately 800 billion yen) for requiring Google Search and Chrome to be pre-installed as a condition for obtaining a Google Play license, and for restricting the sale of devices running Android derivatives not approved by Google.
Google fined 570 billion yen for violating EU antitrust laws; Google CEO suggests Android may no longer be free - GIGAZINE
While search apps and browsers can be changed later, many people continue to use the apps that came pre-installed. The court determined that there was a 'status quo bias' favoring pre-installed apps, and that Google had failed to demonstrate that usage could be explained solely by user preferences and service quality.
In 2022, Google's claims were partially accepted by the European Court of Justice, which overturned the European Commission's ruling regarding revenue-sharing agreements with some device manufacturers and telecommunications operators. As a result, the fine was reduced to €4.125 billion (approximately ¥760 billion), but the overall judgment that these were a series of anti-competitive strategies aimed at strengthening Google's dominant position in general search services was maintained.
The European Court of Justice's ruling rejected Google and Alphabet's appeals, and the reduced fines imposed in 2022 were finalized. The Court of Justice also stated that, given the nature of digital markets, it is not always necessary to conduct a 'counterfactual analysis comparing the actions in question to those that did not occur' in order to determine abuse of dominant position.
A Google spokesperson told Reuters that the ruling did not take into account the investments made to keep Android open, interoperable, and free. Google also said it has amended its contract to comply with the initial 2018 decision and will continue to focus on innovation and openness for users, partners, and developers.
The massive antitrust battle surrounding Android, which began in 2018, has finally come to an end with a defeat for Google. However, Reuters reports that this loss could intensify other regulators and companies' moves to seek damages from Google.
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