Google must pay European comparison site €465m over ad placement in search results

Idealo has demanded €3.3bn in a lawsuit that heard last week

Trade

Image: athree23, Pixabay

A court in Berlin has aarded Europe-wide price and product comparison site Idealo has been €465 million in damages in a lawsuit over abuse of power by Google Shopping.

The price website, owned by publisher Axel Springer, accused the American tech giant of abusing its dominant market position by placing paid search results at the top of the page above the organic results, giving Google Shopping priority.

In 2017, Google had already received a monopoly fine of €2.4 billion from the European Commission. Since then, it has been required to adjust its Shopping service, which has since become a hugely profitable cash machine. Idealo’s lawsuit was launched in early 2025 and the case began last Thursday.

The website claimed that the American company favoured its own offers over those of Idealo. The judge agreed, but did not grant the desired €3.3 billion in damages.

Axel Springer holds a stake of almost 75% in Idealo. The remainder is owned by the founders. The comparison site operates in six European countries: Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

It is not known whether Google is considering lodging an appeal.

Emerce

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