Editing Google (section)

====Fines and lawsuits====

===== European Union =====
On June 27, 2017, the company received a record fine of {{€|2.42 billion|link=yes}} from the [[European Union]] for "promoting its own shopping comparison service at the top of search results."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelion |first=Leo |date=June 27, 2017 |title=Google hit with record EU fine over Shopping service |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40406542 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627100311/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40406542 |archive-date=June 27, 2017 |access-date=June 29, 2017 |publisher=BBC }}</ref>

On July 18, 2018,<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2018 |title=Antitrust: Commission fines Google €4.34 billion for illegal practices regarding Android mobile devices to strengthen dominance of Google's search engine |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-4581_en.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180718112553/http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-4581_en.htm |archive-date=July 18, 2018 |website=European Commission |location=Bruxelles}}</ref> the [[European Commissioner for Competition|European Commission]] fined Google €4.34 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. The abuse of dominants position has been referred to as Google's constraint applied to Android device manufacturers and network operators to ensure that traffic on Android devices goes to the Google search engine. On October 9, 2018, Google confirmed<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 10, 2018 |title=Google appeals $5 billion EU fine in Android antitrust case |url=https://apnews.com/f9797e4935c1464f8f6010793ded7c1d |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010101238/https://apnews.com/f9797e4935c1464f8f6010793ded7c1d |archive-date=October 10, 2018 |website=[[APNews.com]] |location=Bruxelles |language=en}}</ref> that it had appealed the fine to the [[General Court (European Union)|General Court of the European Union]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foo Yun Chee |date=May 13, 2014 |title=Google challenges record $5 billion EU antitrust fine |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-alphabet-inc-antitrust/google-challenges-record-5-billion-eu-antitrust-fine-idUSKCN1MJ2CA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222061539/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-google-dataprotection/european-court-says-google-must-respect-right-to-be-forgotten-idUSBREA4C07120140513 |archive-date=December 22, 2018}}</ref>

On October 8, 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against Google and Alphabet due to "non-public" [[Google+]] account data being exposed as a result of a bug that allowed app developers to gain access to the private information of users. The litigation was settled in July 2020 for $7.5 million with a payout to claimants of at least $5 each, with a maximum of $12 each.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murdock |first=Jason |date=August 5, 2020 |title=Google+ Settlement: How to Submit a Claim over Privacy Bug and Get a Payout |work=[[Newsweek]] |url=https://www.newsweek.com/google-plus-privacy-bug-settlement-claim-money-1522967 |access-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806080428/https://www.newsweek.com/google-plus-privacy-bug-settlement-claim-money-1522967 |archive-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Graham |first=Jefferson |date=August 4, 2020 |title=Did you use Google+? You may be owed some money from class-action privacy settlement |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/08/04/google-privacy-settlement-how-much-money-how-to-get/3290508001/ |access-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806014134/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/08/04/google-privacy-settlement-how-much-money-how-to-get/3290508001/ |archive-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 22, 2020 |title=In re Google Plus Profile Litigation District Court ND of California |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7999009/in-re-google-plus-profile-litigation/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806003928/https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7999009/in-re-google-plus-profile-litigation/ |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |access-date=August 5, 2020 |website=courtlistener.com |publisher=[[Free Law Project]]}}</ref>

On March 20, 2019, the European Commission imposed a €1.49 billion ($1.69 billion) fine on Google for preventing rivals from being able to "compete and innovate fairly" in the online advertising market. European Union competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Google had violated EU antitrust rules by "imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites" that required them to exclude search results from Google's rivals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid |first=David |date=March 20, 2019 |title=EU regulators hit Google with $1.7 billion fine for blocking ad rivals |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/eu-vestager-hits-google-with-fine-for.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320155204/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/eu-vestager-hits-google-with-fine-for.html |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |access-date=March 20, 2019 |website=[[CNBC]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 20, 2019 |title=Europe hits Google with a third, $1.7 billion antitrust fine |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/tech/google-eu-antitrust/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320133734/https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/tech/google-eu-antitrust/index.html |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |access-date=March 21, 2019 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

On September 14, 2022, Google lost the appeal of a €4.125 billion (£3.5 billion) fine, which was ruled to be paid after it was proved by the European Commission that Google forced Android phone-makers to carry Google's search and web browser apps. Since the initial accusations, Google has changed its policy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-62888137 | title=Google loses appeal over record EU anti-trust Android fine | date=September 14, 2022 | publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=September 14, 2022 }}</ref>

On September 10, 2024, Europe's top court imposed a €2.4 billion fine on Google for abusing its dominance in the shopping comparison market, marking the conclusion of a case that began in 2009 with a complaint from British firm Foundem.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gerken |first=Tom |title=EU court rules Google must pay €2.4bn fine |date=September 10, 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw3e1pn741o |website=BBC News |access-date=September 10, 2024}}</ref>

On September 18, 2024, Alphabet's Google won a €1.49 billion ($1.7 billion) antitrust fine from the European Union, while Qualcomm's efforts to repeal a penalty were unsuccessful. The General Court agreed with many of the European Commission's findings but annulled the Google fine, stating that the Commission failed to consider all relevant factors and did not demonstrate harm to innovation or consumers. Google noted that it had already changed its contract practices in 2016. Meanwhile, Qualcomm saw its fine reduced slightly but failed to overturn the ruling regarding its predatory pricing against Icera. Both companies have options to appeal further.<ref>{{cite news|last= Chee |first=Foo Yun |title=Google wins EU antitrust fine fight but setback for Qualcomm |date=September 18, 2024 |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-wins-challenge-against-149-bln-euro-eu-antitrust-fine-2024-09-18/ |access-date=September 18, 2024}}
</ref>

===== France =====
On January 21, 2019, French data regulator [[CNIL]] imposed a record €50 million fine on Google for breaching the European Union's [[General Data Protection Regulation]]. The judgment claimed Google had failed to sufficiently inform users of its methods for collecting data to personalize advertising. Google issued a statement saying it was "deeply committed" to transparency and was "studying the decision" before determining its response.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Chris |date=January 21, 2019 |title=Google hit with £44m GDPR fine |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46944696 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121231240/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46944696 |archive-date=January 21, 2019 |access-date=January 22, 2019 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

On January 6, 2022, France's data privacy regulatory body [[CNIL]] fined Alphabet's Google 150 million euros (US$169 million) for not allowing its Internet users an easy refusal of [[HTTP cookie|Cookies]] along with Facebook.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rosemain |first=Mathieu |date=January 6, 2022 |title=Google hit with 150 mln euro French fine for cookie breaches |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-imposes-fines-facebook-ireland-google-2022-01-06/ |access-date=January 6, 2022}}</ref>

On March 20, 2024, Google was fined approximately $270 million by French regulators for using content from news outlets in France without proper disclosure to train its AI, Bard, now renamed Gemini, violating a previous commitment to negotiate content use transparently and fairly.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Squire |first=Paul |title=Google just got hit with a hefty fine, in part over how it trained its AI |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/google-fined-270-million-trained-ai-news-outlets-france-2024-3 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

===== United States =====
After U.S. Congressional hearings in July 2020,<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 30, 2020 |title=Tech bosses grilled over claims of 'harmful' power |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53583941 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730020044/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53583941 |archive-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref> and a report from the U.S. House of Representatives' Antitrust Subcommittee released in early October,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bond |first1=Shannon |last2=Selyukh |first2=Alina |last3=Allyn |first3=Bobby |date=October 6, 2020 |title=How Are Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google Monopolies? House Report Counts The Ways |work=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920882893/how-are-apple-amazon-facebook-google-monopolies-house-report-counts-the-ways}}</ref> the [[United States Department of Justice]] filed an [[United States v. Google LLC (2020)|antitrust lawsuit against Google]] on October 20, 2020, asserting that it has illegally maintained its monopoly position in web search and search advertising.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=McCabe |first1=David |last2=Kang |first2=Cecilia |date=October 20, 2020 |title=U.S. Accuses Google of Illegally Protecting Monopoly |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/google-antitrust.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020123008/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/google-antitrust.html |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=October 20, 2020 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Allyn |first=Bobby |title=DOC |url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7273448-DOC.html |website=www.documentcloud.org}}</ref> The lawsuit alleged that Google engaged in anticompetitive behavior by paying Apple between $8 billion and $12 billion to be the default search engine on iPhones.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ngo |first=Keach Hagey and Vivien |date=November 7, 2019 |title=How Google Edged Out Rivals and Built the World's Dominant Ad Machine: A Visual Guide |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-google-edged-out-rivals-and-built-the-worlds-dominant-ad-machine-a-visual-guide-11573142071 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Later that month, both [[Facebook]] and Alphabet agreed to "cooperate and assist one another" in the face of investigation into their online advertising practices.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McKinnon |first=Ryan Tracy and John D. |date=December 22, 2020 |title=WSJ News Exclusive {{!}} Google, Facebook Agreed to Team Up Against Possible Antitrust Action, Draft Lawsuit Says |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-facebook-agreed-to-team-up-against-possible-antitrust-action-draft-lawsuit-says-11608612219 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tracy |first=John D. McKinnon and Ryan |date=December 16, 2020 |title=Ten States Sue Google, Alleging Deal With Facebook to Rig Online Ad Market |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/states-sue-google-over-digital-ad-practices-11608146817 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> [[United States v. Google LLC (2023)|Another suit was brought against Google in 2023]] for illegally monopolizing the advertising technology market.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Justice Department Sues Google for Monopolizing Digital Advertising Technologies |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-google-monopolizing-digital-advertising-technologies |access-date=March 31, 2023 |website=[[United States Department of Justice]] |language=en}}</ref> In August 2024, [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|District of Columbia U.S. District Court]] Judge [[Amit Mehta]] ruled that Google held a monopoly in online search and text advertising in violation of Section 2 of the [[Sherman Antitrust Act]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goswami|first1=Rohan|last2=Elias|first2=Jennifer|date=August 5, 2024|title=Google loses antitrust case over search|publisher=CNBC|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/05/google-loses-antitrust-case-over-search.html|access-date=August 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Kruppa|first1=Miles|last2=Wolfe|first2=Jan|date=August 5, 2024|title=Google Loses Antitrust Case Over Search-Engine Dominance|work=The Wall Street Journal|publisher=News Corp|url=https://www.wsj.com/tech/google-loses-federal-antitrust-case-27810c43|access-date=August 5, 2024}}</ref>

On October 8, 2024, The U.S. government suggested it could request Google to divest parts of its business, such as the Chrome browser and Android, due to its alleged monopoly in online search. The Justice Department aimed to limit Google's growing dominance in areas like AI. Google, which intended to appeal, argued that the proposals were too extreme, while also dealing with other antitrust cases involving its app store and advertising operations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 8, 2024|title=US considers breakup of Google in landmark search case|newspaper=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-propose-how-google-should-boost-online-search-competition-2024-10-08/ |access-date=October 9, 2024}}</ref>

In November 2024, the Justice Department proposed major changes to curb Google's online search monopoly, including forcing the company to sell its Chrome browser, share search data with competitors, and end exclusive agreements that make Google the default search engine on devices like iPhones. The DoJ also sought a ban on Google re-entering the browser market for five years and restrictions on its investments in rival search or AI technologies. Google called these proposals excessive and harmful to consumers, pledging to appeal. A trial on the case was scheduled for April 2025, though the incoming administration and new DoJ leadership could potentially alter the course of the proceedings.<ref>{{cite news|title=Google must sell Chrome to end search monopoly, justice department argues in court filing |date=November 21, 2024 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/21/google-sell-chrome-us-court-filing-demand-competition-laws |website=The Guardian |access-date=November 21, 2024}}</ref>

===== Russia =====

On October 31, 2024, the [[Russian government]] imposed a "symbolic" fine of $20 [[decillion]] on Google for blocking pro-Russian YouTube channels. In 2022, during the invasion of Ukraine, a Russian court had ordered Google to restore the channels, with penalties doubling every week according to [[TASS]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ziady |first=Hanna |date=October 31, 2024 |title=Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/31/tech/google-fines-russia/index.html |access-date=October 31, 2024 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> This comes alongside other large fines against social media companies accused of hosting content critical of the Kremlin or supportive of Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=October 31, 2024 |title=Russia says $20 decillion fine against Google is 'symbolic' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/31/russia-20-decillion-fine-against-google-symbolic-youtube-ban-pro-kremlin-media |access-date=October 31, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>