Google hit a roadblock on Thursday in its long-running legal battle against a $4.7 billion EU antitrust fine.
Juliane Kokott, advocate general to the European Court of Justice, recommended that the court reject Google’s appeal of the penalty tied to its Android dominance.
In 2018, EU regulators ruled that Google abused its market power by requiring phone manufacturers to pre-install apps like Search, Chrome, and the Play Store in order to access Android.
The European Commission argued this stifled competition and limited consumer choice.
A lower court already slightly trimmed the nearly $5 billion penalty, but Google appealed again. It is in this case that Kokott recommended an opinion yesterday.
While her opinion is not legally binding, it is often influential in the final court ruling. Google has warned that the outcome could hurt innovation and open platforms.
This case is just one of three major EU antitrust actions against the tech giant. Brussels is also investigating Google’s digital advertising business.