A Swedish market court has ordered Google to pay 14.3 billion kronor ($1.46 billion) in damages to price comparison site Pricerunner for unlawfully favouring its own shopping comparison service in search results. The ruling was issued on Wednesday by the Patent and Market Court in Stockholm, following a lawsuit filed by Pricerunner in 2022, according to livemint.com.
Pricerunner, which was acquired by fintech company Klarna, claimed that Google’s preferential treatment caused it harm over many years. The court acknowledged the complexity of the case and noted that while Pricerunner sought significantly higher damages, it did not fully succeed with all its claims. Nonetheless, the damages awarded represent the largest ever decided in a Swedish competition case, the court said.
The case highlights ongoing scrutiny of Google’s dominance in digital markets, particularly its control over search results and potential anti-competitive practices. Similar legal actions in the European Union and other jurisdictions have targeted Google’s favouring of its own services, affecting competitors in sectors like shopping comparisons. This ruling adds to a growing body of enforcement actions against major tech companies for market abuse.
Pricerunner’s lawsuit was filed in 2022, and the court’s decision came after years of legal proceedings. The 14.3 billion kronor award marks a significant penalty for Google in Sweden’s legal system and sets a precedent for future cases involving digital platform competition.