In a case heard in Berlin, technology giant Google was ordered to pay a total of 572 million euros to two German companies on the grounds that they violated competition rules. According to information provided by Reuters, the court ruled that Google abused its market dominance by highlighting its own shopping service, Google Shopping, in search results. Accordingly, it was decided to pay compensation of 465 million euros to the company called Idealo and 107 million euros to the company called Producto.
Idealo, one of the Germany-based price comparison platforms, applied to the Berlin State Court in February 2025, arguing that they suffered a major competitive disadvantage because Google prioritized their services in search results. The company’s initial request was at least 3.3 billion euros. The court ruled that Google used its dominance in the search engine market in Europe to direct users to its own shopping services, which seriously reduced the visibility of rival platforms.
The changes made by Google were not enough to convince the court
Google defended itself against these allegations and claimed that with the changes it made in 2017, shopping platforms other than Google Shopping also had the opportunity to advertise in search results. However, the court took the view that these regulations were insufficient to eliminate the negative effects on competition.
In the statement made by Idealo, it was stated that with the decision, Google’s applications were once again not approved by the judiciary. Albrecht von Sonntag, one of the founding partners of the company, said in a written statement: “Abuse of market dominance must have consequences; such practices should not remain a lucrative business model despite penalties and compensation.” Idealo also emphasized that it is determined to continue the legal processes, stating that the compensation amount reflects only a small part of its actual damages.
On the other hand, another price comparison platform called Producto won 107 million euros in compensation in the lawsuit it filed for similar reasons. This company’s claims also focus on serious losses due to independent platforms being left behind in Google’s search results.
In addition, the legal problems Google is experiencing in Europe are not limited to this latest case. Recently, the company has been accused of similar practices not only in shopping but also in travel and accommodation services. In particular, allegations that Google Flights and Google Hotels services are placed in advantageous positions in search results have entered the radar of the European Union Commission. The Commission is preparing new sanctions, arguing that these practices violate the Digital Markets Act.
Last month, the European Commission fined Google approximately 3 billion euros for its anti-competitive activities in the field of advertising technologies. These developments show that the regulatory pressure the technology giant faces in Europe is increasingly intensifying.