Google lashes out at EU regulators’ record $5B antitrust fine over Android’s dominance

The news: Google appealed the $5 billion antitrust fine levied by the European Union, according to The Wall Street Journal. EU regulators claim Google abused its market dominance, but Google argued Apple is the real monopoly threat. A verdict isn’t expected for months, and it can be appealed to the EU’s Court of Justice.

How we got here: The European Commission found Google abused its control over the Android OS by forcing phone makers to pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser. But Google questioned why the commission excluded Apple’s devices from its analysis.

•  “The commission shut its eyes to the real competitive dynamic in this industry—that between Apple Inc. and Android,” said Meredith Pickford, a lawyer for Google.

What’s next? A win for Google could stifle other antitrust cases, including in the US, where the tech giant is being similarly investigated. Conversely, a loss in the EU could fuel momentum from regulators in other countries to push for stricter antitrust regulation