Idealo wins antitrust case against Google

A Berlin court has issued a major ruling in an ongoing competition dispute, concluding that Idealo wins an antitrust ruling against Google after years of legal challenges, Reuters reports. The court found that Google abused its dominant market position, leading to two case decisions that included substantial financial consequences for the U.S. technology company. Both rulings remain open to appeal.

Financial awards for Idealo and Producto

According to the court spokesperson quoted by Reuters, the decision means Google must provide Idealo – Germany’s well-known price comparison platform and a subsidiary of Axel Springer – with approximately 465 million euros. In a similar case, Producto, the company behind another German comparison service, will receive 107 million euros. These outcomes form part of the broader context in which Idealo wins an antitrust ruling against Google and parallel platforms secure comparable results.

Idealo’s response

Following the ruling, Idealo announced it will continue its legal action. Co-founder Albrecht von Sonntag stressed that market abuse must not become a profitable business model, arguing that the company will keep pursuing accountability. Idealo originally sought 3.3 billion euros including interest, citing conduct stretching from 2008 to 2023 – central reasons why Idealo wins an antitrust ruling against Google in this stage of the legal process.

Google’s reaction and planned appeal

Google strongly rejects the court’s findings and confirmed it will challenge the decisions. A company spokesperson emphasized that Google made changes in 2017 to improve equal access for rival comparison services. According to Google, those adjustments increased the number of price comparison platforms using the redesigned Shopping Unit from seven to 1,550 across Europe. These arguments highlight Google’s stance as Idealo wins an antitrust ruling against Google, setting the stage for the next phase of legal review.

What comes next for the competition landscape

As both rulings can be appealed, the cases will likely continue to influence Europe’s ongoing debate about fair competition in digital markets. Whether adjustments made by Google in recent years meet regulatory expectations will remain central as the process moves forward. For now, the decision that Idealo wins an antitrust ruling against Google marks another decisive moment in the evolving relationship between large platforms and their competitors.