• EU court adviser backs a €4.1 billion antitrust fine against Google.
• Google's practices aimed at preserving market dominance are deemed abusive.
• The advisory opinion may influence the final ruling expected later this year.

An adviser to the EU's Court of Justice, Juliane Kokott, has supported the imposition of a €4.1 billion antitrust fine against Google, stemming from allegations that the tech giant abused its market power via its Android operating system. Kokott stated that Google's actions unfairly benefited its search engine by enforcing restrictive practices on device manufacturers, which she deemed reflective of a dominant market position, according to Channel News Asia, Reuters, and Bloomberg.

In her non-binding advisory opinion, Kokott recommended that the court dismiss Google’s appeal against the fine, reinforcing the European Commission's findings from 2018 that condemned the company's contractual practices as obstructive to competition. She emphasized that, "the legal arguments put forward by Google are ineffective," which underscores the challenges the company faces, according to India Times and Anadolu Agency.

This legal battle has been ongoing, with the original €4.34 billion fine imposed in 2018 eventually reduced to €4.1 billion by a lower tribunal in 2022. Kokott criticized Google's notion that it should be compared with hypothetical competitors, asserting that such a comparison is unrealistic given Google’s established dominance in the Android ecosystem. The court's final decision is expected within months, with significant implications for both Google and the broader regulatory landscape for technology firms, according to Channel News Asia, Reuters, and Bloomberg.