Alphabet(US:GOOGL) 智通财经网·2025-06-19 11:19Group 1 - The European Court's Chief Advocate General Julian Kokott has issued a non-binding opinion supporting the EU's antitrust ruling against Google for abusing its dominant position in the Android market, which provides legal backing for a €4.1 billion (approximately $4.7 billion) fine imposed by the European Commission [1] - Kokott highlighted that Google established a dominant position in multiple markets within the Android ecosystem, leveraging network effects to lock in users to its search services, thereby gaining data advantages to enhance its products, constituting an abuse of market dominance [1] - Historical data indicates that about 80% of cases from this court adopt the Advocate General's opinions, casting doubt on Google's prospects for appeal [1] Group 2 - The case dates back to July 2018 when the European Commission accused Google of consolidating its search dominance through three illegal practices: forcing manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome as a condition for Play Store licensing, paying manufacturers for exclusive pre-installation, and prohibiting the use of unverified Android forks [1] - Despite a slight reduction in the fine to €4.1 billion in September 2022, the core violations were upheld by the EU General Court [1] - This case is one of four antitrust actions against tech giants during the tenure of former EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who has imposed over €8 billion in fines on Google [1] Group 3 - The EU regulatory stance contrasts with Google's position, asserting that Google systematically excluded competitors and solidified over 90% of the European mobile search market share from 2011 to 2018 through bundling and exclusive payment agreements [2] - The case reflects a shift in the EU's digital regulatory policy, with the recently enacted Digital Markets Act imposing additional obligations on "gatekeeper" companies like Google, including allowing app sideloading and prohibiting preferential treatment of their own services [2] - In March of this year, the EU warned Google again for allegedly favoring its own services in search results and restricting app developers from directing users to alternative payment channels, which could lead to another significant fine [2]