Google Faces Fresh €10bn Damages Claims After Record EU Fine

Google is facing a fresh wave of legal challenges across Europe, with several rivals preparing lawsuits seeking up to $10 billion in damages after the technology giant was handed a record €890 million ($1 billion) fine by the European Commission for breaching the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The latest development marks a new phase in Europe’s long-running antitrust campaign against the Alphabet-owned company, as competitors move beyond regulatory complaints to pursue financial compensation through private litigation.

According to findings, litigation financiers and legal experts said companies from Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Italy are either pursuing or preparing damages claims, arguing that Google’s anti-competitive business practices caused them significant commercial losses over several years.

Last week, the European Commission imposed its first-ever financial penalties under the Digital Markets Act, fining Google for favouring its own services in search results and restricting app developers from directing users to cheaper payment options outside Google Play. The Commission imposed €460 million for self-preferencing in search services and €430 million for anti-steering practices in its app marketplace.

The ruling has strengthened the position of rivals seeking compensation, with legal experts saying the Commission’s findings could be used as evidence in national courts across Europe.

One of the companies pursuing damages is German price comparison platform Idealo, which recently secured a €465 million damages award in Germany. Other firms, including Kelkoo, PriceRunner and Italy’s Moltiply Group, are also advancing or considering legal action over Google’s market practices.

Lawyers involved in the cases told Reuters that the combined value of existing and anticipated claims could reach $10 billion, making them among the largest follow-on competition lawsuits ever brought against a technology company in Europe.

Google has maintained that it disagrees with the European Commission’s findings and intends to challenge the DMA penalty. The company had earlier said, “The Commission’s findings require us to make changes that will make it harder for people to find what they are looking for and reduce traffic to European businesses.”

Google also argued that it had made extensive efforts to comply with the Digital Markets Act and remained engaged with European regulators.

The latest lawsuits add to the mounting regulatory pressure facing Alphabet in Europe. Since 2017, Google has accumulated more than **€10 billion** in EU antitrust penalties covering its shopping comparison service, Android operating system, online advertising business and now the Digital Markets Act.

Meanwhile, legal experts said the damages litigation is expected to take several years to conclude but could significantly increase Google’s financial exposure beyond regulatory fines, particularly if more businesses join the growing list of claimants across Europe.