Mon Oct 28 20:59:19 UTC 2024: ## Google Fined Billions for Suppressing Small Website
**Brussels, EU:** Google has been ordered to pay a massive fine of €2.4 billion (approximately ₹260 billion) for unfairly suppressing a small price comparison website, “Foundem,” owned by a British couple. The European Court of Justice upheld a 2017 decision by the European Commission, concluding that Google abused its dominant market position by favoring its own shopping service.
The couple, Shivan and Adam Reif, launched Foundem in 2006, aiming to provide users with comprehensive price comparisons. However, they noticed a dramatic drop in their website’s visibility on Google Search shortly after its launch. Their website struggled to appear even when users searched for relevant keywords like “price comparison” and “shopping.”
Foundem suspected Google’s automated spam filters were penalizing them unfairly. The website’s ranking on Google plummeted while remaining stable on other search engines, resulting in a significant drop in revenue. Despite repeated attempts to address the issue with Google, the penalty persisted for nearly two years.
Frustrated, the couple took their case to the European Commission, who conducted a lengthy investigation. The Commission ultimately found Google guilty of using its market power to unfairly promote its own shopping service at the expense of competitors like Foundem.
The €2.4 billion fine levied in 2017 was appealed by Google, leading to a seven-year legal battle. However, the European Court of Justice upheld the original decision, rejecting Google’s appeal.
The Reifs expressed relief at the final ruling, though they acknowledged the lengthy delay. Their company was forced to shut down in 2016, but they are pursuing a separate civil damages claim against Google, scheduled for trial in 2026.
A Google spokesperson stated that they have continued to implement the changes made in 2017, following the European Commission’s directives. They further pointed out that nearly 800 shopping comparison services have received millions of clicks, indicating positive results.
The verdict marks a significant victory for smaller businesses facing unfair competition from powerful tech giants and reinforces the importance of maintaining a level playing field in the online marketplace.
First Piper 