Dozens of European price comparison websites have filed lawsuits against Google, seeking over €12 billion in damages for unfair competition. These legal actions follow the European Commission’s 2017 decision confirming that the tech giant had violated antitrust laws by favoring its own shopping service over rivals.
After nearly seven years of litigation, European companies now have a stronger legal footing to demand compensation. The foundation for their claims is a key EU ruling that found Google’s practices harmed competition in the online shopping market. In 2023, the decision was upheld in court after several appeals, meaning plaintiffs no longer need to prove Google’s guilt to pursue damages.
At least 12 cases are active across seven EU countries, with nine of them accounting for more than €12 billion in potential compensation. Several lawsuits are moving toward trial. For instance, a London court is expected to hear a £1 billion ($1.6 billion) case brought by UK firms Kelkoo and Foundem by the end of June. In Amsterdam, the Dutch Compare Group will begin its legal proceedings in September.
New Cases and Growing Claims
The wave of litigation continues to expand. In April, a class action worth €900 million was filed in the Netherlands on behalf of Germany’s PreisRoboter and Portugal’s KuantoKusta. Italy’s Moltiply Group SA also submitted claims totaling €2.97 billion, citing losses suffered by its Trovaprezzi service between 2010 and 2017.
Some plaintiffs have increased the size of their claims, arguing that Google’s anti-competitive behavior continues to this day. “We are demanding real consequences for abuses,” said Albrecht Sonntag, co-founder of Idealo. “The internet should not be controlled by monopolies to the detriment of consumers and the economy.” Idealo’s legal representative, Thomas Höppner, noted that the scale of damages is linked to the long duration of violations (since 2008) and the rapid growth of the e-commerce market during that time.
Google has denied the accusations, asserting that since 2017, it has offered equal conditions to all price comparison sites, notes NIXSolutions. The company claims the lawsuits are meritless and motivated by financial gain rather than innovation. Still, Google’s legal challenges are mounting. Bloomberg reports that in addition to these EU cases, Google is facing antitrust scrutiny in the U.S., where authorities are evaluating the separation of its search and advertising businesses.
The outcome of these lawsuits could influence future legal actions against other tech giants. We’ll keep you updated as more developments unfold.