EU Adviser Urges Reassessment of Google’s $1.66B Ad Contracts Fine
EU Advocate General recommends re-examining Google’s €1.49 billion AdSense fine case.
Why it matters: This could alter how EU regulators enforce antitrust laws on digital platforms and affect Google's legal risks in Europe.
- Advocate General Juliane Kokott advised on Nov 12, 2026, that the 2024 annulment of Google’s €1.49 billion fine should be set aside.
- The fine relates to Google’s anti-competitive AdSense contracts from 2006 to 2016.
- The General Court annulled the fine in 2024, citing errors in evaluating the contracts’ duration and market impact.
- Kokott argued the Court failed to consider the collective effect of Google’s contractual clauses, recommending a new judgment.
In 2019, the European Commission penalized Google €1.49 billion for abusing dominance in online advertising through restrictive clauses in its AdSense for Search contracts between 2006 and 2016. These clauses limited competitors’ ability to place ads on third-party websites, which the Commission found anti-competitive.
However, in September 2024, the General Court annulled the Commission’s decision, citing errors in assessing how long the contracts lasted and their impact on the advertising market. The Court concluded the Commission did not sufficiently prove exclusionary effects.
On November 12, 2026, Advocate General Juliane Kokott issued an opinion disagreeing with the General Court. She stated the Court erred by considering each contract individually rather than their combined impact, which masked the true exclusionary effect. Kokott proposed that the European Court of Justice refer the case back for a fresh judgment.
This development invites a potential reversal of the 2024 ruling and reaffirms the European Commission’s stance against Google’s contractual practices. Legal experts expect this could reinforce EU antitrust scrutiny of large digital platforms and clarify how cumulative contract effects factor into competition assessments.
The European Court of Justice will decide whether to follow Kokott’s recommendation. Its ruling could redefine enforcement strategies in one of the most significant competition cases against Google, influencing broader digital market regulation.
By the numbers:
- €1.49 billion — European Commission fine against Google in 2019
- 10 years — Duration of Google’s alleged anti-competitive contract practices (2006-2016)
- September 2024 — General Court annulled the fine
- November 12, 2026 — Advocate General Kokott’s opinion recommending reassessment
What's next: The European Court of Justice is expected to issue its final verdict on the Advocate General's recommendation in the coming months, which will determine if the case is reheard.