EU Court Adviser Recommends Reinstating Google Antitrust Penalty

By EC Assets · Published 12 November 2026

An adviser to Europe's top court has delivered an adverse opinion against Google in a major regulatory proceeding. The legal recommendation faulted a lower tribunal's previous decision to annul a 1.49 billion euro ($1.7 billion) antitrust penalty imposed on the technology company. Shares of parent company Alphabet traded up 2.11 percent in market activity alongside the legal news. The dispute centres on European Union regulatory enforcement actions and the subsequent review by the regional judiciary. The lower tribunal had moved to scrap the 1.49 billion euro penalty initially levied against the company before the court adviser contested that determination on Thursday. The recommendation arrives as Google navigates scrutiny across multiple product lines and regulatory fronts in Europe. The company has separately contested an earlier 4.98 billion euro antitrust fine linked to findings that it used its Android mobile operating system to suppress market rivals. European regulators have also examined Google on data protection and intellectual property matters. In Ireland, Alphabet faced a 403 million euro ($463 million) privacy fine regarding its handling of user location data. Additionally, an adviser to Europe's highest court recently addressed copyright rules, stating that the Gemini chatbot's use of publisher articles to answer user queries could breach regional copyright provisions. Court opinions from judicial advisers serve as formal legal recommendations ahead of binding rulings from the Court of Justice of the European Union. This article is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice.