Google is facing a new wave of costly litigation across Europe as rival companies prepare to seek up to $10 billion in damages following the European Commission’s record $1 billion antitrust fine under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The latest legal battle shifts the focus from regulatory penalties to private compensation claims, exposing Alphabet to potentially years of additional financial and legal pressure, Reuters news report said.
Several European rivals are already pursuing major damages.
German price comparison platform Idealo has secured a €465 million damages award.
Sweden’s PriceRunner is seeking $1.97 billion.
Italy’s Moltiply Group has filed a claim worth €2.97 billion.
UK-based Kelkoo is also pursuing compensation.
Idealo (Germany)
German price comparison platform Idealo has secured a €465 million damages award after a Berlin court ruled that Google abused its dominant position by favoring its own shopping comparison service over rivals. The decision marks one of the first major private antitrust victories against Google in Europe and could encourage additional compensation claims from businesses that argue they suffered losses because of Google’s search practices.
PriceRunner (Sweden)
Sweden’s PriceRunner, owned by Klarna, has secured a court ruling awarding $1.97 billion, including interest, in its long-running legal battle against Google. The company argued that Google’s preferential treatment of its own shopping comparison service reduced traffic and competition, causing significant financial harm. The ruling represents one of the largest antitrust damages awards linked to Google’s shopping practices.
Moltiply Group (Italy)
Italy’s Moltiply Group, owner of price comparison platform Trovaprezzi.it, has filed a €2.97 billion damages claim against Google, alleging that the company’s self-preferencing practices in shopping search unfairly harmed its business. The lawsuit seeks compensation for losses that Moltiply says resulted from Google’s anti-competitive conduct and is among the largest private antitrust claims currently pending in Europe.
Kelkoo (United Kingdom)
UK-based Kelkoo is also pursuing compensation from Google, arguing that the company’s preferential treatment of its own shopping comparison services reduced visibility for independent price comparison platforms and distorted competition. While the company has not publicly disclosed the value of its claim, its case adds to a growing wave of private lawsuits seeking damages following European antitrust actions against Google.
Lawyers and litigation funders estimate that the combined value of current and future claims could reach $10 billion as more competitors join the legal action.
The lawsuits stem from the European Commission’s €890 million ($1 billion) penalty imposed on Google for favoring its own services in search results and preventing app developers from directing users to lower-cost payment options outside Google Play. The fine included €460 million for self-preferencing in search and €430 million for restrictive Google Play practices, marking Google’s first penalties under the DMA.
The latest damages claims add to Google’s long-running antitrust challenges in Europe. Since 2017, the company has accumulated more than €10.4 billion in EU antitrust fines. Legal experts believe the DMA ruling strengthens private damages cases not only under the new regulation but also under earlier competition rules, particularly Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. However, most lawsuits are expected to take several years before reaching final judgments or settlements. Google has rejected the allegations, arguing that rivals are seeking financial payouts instead of competing through innovation. Nevertheless, the combination of regulatory fines and multibillion-dollar civil claims significantly increases the financial risks facing the company as it continues investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
