EU Adviser Backs $4.7B Android Fine Against Google; US Jury Orders $314M Data Misuse Payment

Alphabet's Google has faced two major legal setbacks related to its Android operating system. In Europe, an adviser to the European Union's top court recommended upholding a record €4.125 billion ($4.7 billion) antitrust fine imposed on Google in 2018 for abusing its dominant position in the Android market. The adviser, Advocate General Juliane Kokott of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), supported the European Commission's decision, stating that Google’s restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile operators were part of a strategy to preserve dominance in search. This recommendation significantly weakens Google's appeal against the fine, which is the largest antitrust penalty ever imposed by the EU.

Meanwhile, in the United States, a jury in San Jose, California, ruled that Google misused Android smartphone users' cellular data without their consent and ordered the company to pay over $314.6 million in damages. The class-action lawsuit found that Google illegally collected data from users' devices while they were idle. Google has indicated it plans to appeal the US verdict. These rulings come amid broader scrutiny of Google's business practices and regulatory efforts to rein in Big Tech companies globally.