German Court Rules Google Must Pay €572M for Violating Antitrust Rules in Price Comparison Sector

A German court has ruled that Google abused its dominant position in the price comparison market, ordering the company to pay a total of €572 million ($665.6 million) in damages to two German comparison platforms, according to a report by Reuters.

Under the decision, Google must pay approximately €465 million ($540 million) to Idealo, and €107 million ($124 million) to Producto, another price comparison service.

Background and Lawsuit Details

Idealo had sought €3.3 billion in damages from Google, citing the 2024 European Court of Justice ruling that found the search giant guilty of self-preferencing its own shopping comparison service, violating EU competition law. That same ruling fined Google around $2.7 billion at the time.

In a statement, Idealo confirmed that it will continue to pursue the full damages it initially demanded.

"We welcome the court holding Google accountable. But the consequences of self-favoring go far beyond the amount awarded. We will continue to fight – because market abuse must have consequences and must not become a lucrative business model that is worthwhile despite fines and compensation payments,"
"Albrecht von Sonntag, co-founder and CEO of Idealo, said,"

Google's Response

Google said it plans to appeal both rulings, maintaining that the company's post-2017 changes already addressed the competition concerns raised by the EU.

"The changes we made in 2017 are working well, with no intervention from the European Commission. The number of price comparison sites in Europe using the remedy Shopping Unit has multiplied from seven then to 1,550 today,"
A Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Google also added that its Shopping Unit now operates independently, participating in ad auctions "the same as everyone else." That rival comparison services are offered equal opportunities to display ads.

Wider EU Scrutiny

This ruling comes amid broader regulatory scrutiny of Google in the European Union. The company is currently facing a new EU investigation into whether its spam policy unfairly affects publishers' visibility in search rankings.

Earlier this year, the EU also fined Google € 2.4 billion (approximately $ 2.8 billion) for allegedly violating antitrust laws by favouring its own advertising services over those of competitors.

Note: This story has been updated to include Google's official response.