Overview
- The Court of Justice of the European Union rejected Google’s final appeal on July 2, 2026, making the €4.125 billion penalty definitive.
- The judges upheld the 2022 General Court finding that Google tied preinstallation of Search and Chrome to Play Store licensing and they annulled only parts of the case about some revenue‑sharing deals.
- Brussels says those contractual rules forced device makers to install Google’s apps, which harmed rivals by using Android’s default settings to favor Google services.
- Google said it was disappointed and defended Android as pro-competitive and supportive of developers and manufacturers, while consumer groups hailed the decision as a win for competition.
- The ruling ends a decade-long legal fight and will guide future EU antitrust enforcement and how dominant platforms negotiate app preinstallation and licensing with manufacturers.