The European Court of Justice, the EU’s top court, has dismissed Google’s appeal to a record €4.1 billion (£3.5bn) antitrust fine imposed in 2018 over its Android competition practices, meaning the US search and advertising firm will be forced to pay.

The European Commission levied the penalty for Google’s deals with large smartphone makers to ensure the prominence of its own apps, such as Search and the Chrome browser.

Initially the fine was €4.3bn, but was reduced to its current level in 2022.

At the time, the Commission said Google had abused its market dominance to stifle competition.

Google’s chief executive Sundar Pichai said at the time that the company’s business model was necessary to support Android, which in turn created more consumer choice.

A Google spokesperson said the ECJ’s decision failed to recognise Google’s “significant investment” in Android and added that Google had adapted its agreements to comply with EU rules.

The fine is the largest the Commission has imposed upon Google.

Other large fines on the company include a €2.4bn penalty in September 2024 for abusing the market dominance of its price-comparison service, and a €2.95bn fine in September 2025 for favouring its own products for displaying online ads, over those of competitors.

Last week, a Swedish court ordered Google to pay Klarna nearly $2bn (£1.5bn) in damages for preferring its own online price-comparison services in certain markets from 2008 to 2023, in a decision Google is expected to appeal.