A Berlin court has ordered Google to pay approximately €465 million in damages to German price comparison platform Idealo for abusing its dominant market position, with an additional €107 million awarded to rival platform Producto.

The rulings found that Google had systematically favoured its own Google Shopping service in search results over competing price comparison sites. Both decisions can be appealed, according to a court spokesperson.

Idealo, a subsidiary of German media group Axel Springer, had originally demanded €3.3 billion in damages, including interest, from Google. The company accused the search engine operator of market abuse spanning from 2008 to 2023.

Despite the court's decision, Idealo has announced it will continue its legal battle against the technology giant. Albrecht von Sonntag, co-founder and member of the advisory board at Idealo, said the damages awarded represent only a fraction of the actual harm caused.

"We welcome that the court is holding Google accountable. But the consequences of its self-preferencing extend far beyond the amount awarded," von Sonntag stated. "We will keep fighting, because abuse of dominance must have consequences and must not be a profitable business model that pays off despite fines and damages."

Google has strongly rejected the rulings and confirmed it will appeal. A company spokesperson pointed to changes implemented in 2017 that were designed to give rival comparison shopping services the same opportunity as Google Shopping to display advertisements on its search results page.

"The changes we made in 2017 have proven successful without intervention from the European Commission," the spokesperson said. "The number of price comparison sites in Europe using the Shopping Unit designed by the remedy has increased from seven to 1,550."

The Berlin court decision represents the first time a major technology company has been held liable by a German civil court for an antitrust violation of this magnitude. The ruling demonstrates that private damages claims can serve as an effective mechanism for holding digital monopolies accountable.

This legal action is part of a broader pattern of regulatory scrutiny facing Google in Europe. The European Union has previously threatened substantial fines for violations of the Digital Markets Act, specifically accusing Google of favouring its own Google Flights and Google Hotels services in search results. A month before this ruling, the European Commission fined Google nearly €3 billion for anticompetitive practices in the advertising technology industry.

The damages awards mark a significant development in the enforcement of European competition law and the protection of fair competition within the digital marketplace.

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