# Google Must Pay Record $4.7 Billion EU Antitrust Fine Google penalized for abusing Android's dominance to favor its own apps. - **Source:** [Daring Fireball](https://brifing.si/source/bbc604d1-4212-4e70-9dbd-e291115f1f22) - **Published:** 2026-07-17 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/275f8658-967e-47c0-8abf-212260dcb186 ## Record Fine Upheld Europe's top court confirmed the €4.1 billion fine imposed on Google in 2018. The penalty was based on allegations that Google used Android's mobile dominance to unfairly advantage its own apps. ## Android's Dominance Google was fined for leveraging Android's market dominance through pre-installation deals with smartphone manufacturers, allegedly stifling competition. ## Appeal Process Concluded Google exhausted its appeals through the EU court system, but the European Court of Justice dismissed its final appeal, leaving no further legal recourse. ## Financial Impact of the Fine Google posted $132 billion in profit last year, making the fine roughly 3% of its earnings. However, in 2018, the fine would have accounted for about 15% of its annual profit. ## Role of Profit Growth Google significantly increased its profits in recent years, reducing the relative impact of the fine. Inflation further diminished the penalty's financial burden. ## Significance of Competition Law This ruling underscores the importance of holding tech giants accountable under competition law. The EU continues to take a strict stance against anti-competitive practices. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/02/alphabet-google-android-eu-antitrust-fine-4-1-billion-euro-appeal.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._