Europe’s top court has dismissed Google’s final appeal against a €4.1 billion (£3.5 billion) fine imposed for using its Android mobile operating system to block rivals, ending a seven-year legal battle. The European Commission originally handed down a €4.3 billion penalty in 2018, later trimmed to €4.1 billion in 2022. The Court of Justice ruling on Wednesday confirmed the fine—the largest the Commission has ever imposed on Google—and upheld findings that the company acted illegally by requiring device manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome as a condition of accessing the Play Store, making payments to secure exclusive search defaults, and preventing the sale of devices running alternative versions of Android.

A Google spokesperson said the judgement “fails to recognise” the company’s “significant investment to ensure Android remains open, interoperable and free.” The company added that it “adapted our agreements to comply with the initial decision back in 2018 and we remain focused on continued innovation and openness for our users, partners and developers.”

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What Google Was Accused Of

The Commission’s 2018 decision identified three specific practices it said were illegal. First, Google required Android handset and tablet manufacturers to pre-install the Google Search app and Chrome browser as a condition of being allowed to offer access to the Play Store. Second, Google made payments to large manufacturers and mobile network operators that agreed to exclusively pre-install Google Search on their devices. Third, Google prevented manufacturers from selling smart devices powered by alternative “forked” versions of Android by threatening to refuse permission to pre-install its apps.

The Commission acknowledged that Google’s version of Android did not prevent device owners from downloading alternative browsers or using other search engines. The case focused on the restrictions Google placed on manufacturers rather than on end users.

Google’s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, argued at the time that the decision “rejects the business model that supports Android, which has created more choice for everyone, not less.”

According to European Court of Justice ruling dismissing Google’s final appeal against the Android fine, the court found that all three practices constituted illegal restrictions on competition under EU law.

As our analysis of European Commission competition cases against major technology platforms has documented, the Android case is one of three major fines the EU has imposed on Google. In September 2024, the Court of Justice upheld a €2.4 billion fine over Google’s shopping-comparison service. In September 2025, the Commission fined Google €2.95 billion for favouring its own products in online advertising. The three cases total more than €8 billion.

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What Changed

Google altered its Android licensing agreements shortly after the Commission’s original decision in 2018. Manufacturers in the European Economic Area now pay a licensing fee to pre-install Google’s suite of apps, and they can license the Play Store separately without bundling Search and Chrome. The structural remedy has been in place for years. Wednesday’s ruling confirms the remedy was legally justified but does not alter it.

The fine, while the largest the Commission has ever imposed on Google, is manageable for its parent company, Alphabet, which generated $350 billion in revenue in 2024. The strategic cost of the case was not the penalty but the forced restructuring of Android’s distribution model.

The ruling is the final stage of a legal process that began in 2018. Google appealed to the General Court, which upheld the core findings but reduced the fine in 2022. Google then appealed to the Court of Justice, the EU’s highest court, which has now dismissed the case.

According to Google’s statement on the ruling and the 2018 changes to Android licensing agreements, the company maintains that Android remains open and that the changes made in 2018 addressed the Commission’s concerns.

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The Broader Implications

The Android case has influenced regulatory approaches beyond Europe. Investigations into mobile platform dominance in India, South Korea, and other jurisdictions have drawn on the Commission’s findings and remedies.

The case also arrives as the EU’s Digital Markets Act imposes a new regulatory framework on designated “gatekeeper” platforms. The DMA requires companies to comply with obligations including prohibitions on self-preferencing and requirements to interoperate with rivals. The Android case was fought under competition law. The DMA represents a shift toward ex ante regulation that aims to prevent anti-competitive behaviour before it occurs rather than penalising it afterwards.

Android remains the dominant mobile operating system globally, running on more than 70% of the world’s smartphones. Google’s search engine remains the market leader in Europe. The regulatory interventions have changed business practices without fundamentally altering market dynamics.

As our coverage of the Digital Markets Act and its impact on technology platform regulation has tracked, the new regime is designed to address the limitations of case-by-case competition enforcement, which can take years to resolve and produce remedies that may not shift consumer behaviour.

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FAQ

What was Google fined for?

The European Commission found Google used Android to block rivals in three ways: requiring manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome to access the Play Store, paying for exclusive search defaults, and preventing devices running alternative versions of Android from being sold.

How much is the fine?

€4.1 billion. The original 2018 fine was €4.3 billion, reduced by the General Court in 2022. It is the largest single penalty the Commission has imposed on Google.

Has Google already changed its practices?

Yes. Google changed its Android licensing agreements in 2018. Manufacturers in Europe can now license the Play Store separately from Search and Chrome.

What other fines has Google faced in Europe?

The Commission fined Google €2.4 billion in 2024 over its shopping-comparison service, a decision upheld on appeal. A €2.95 billion fine followed in 2025 for favouring its own online advertising products. The three cases total more than €8 billion.

Does this ruling change anything for Android users?

Not directly. The changes to Android’s licensing model have been in place since 2018. The ruling confirms those changes were legally justified.