Key facts
- Google ordered to pay PriceRunner $1.5 billion in antitrust damages.
- The Stockholm Patent and Market Court found Google illegally favored its own price comparison service.
- PriceRunner claimed Google's actions demoted it in search rankings over more than a decade.
- Google is expected to appeal the ruling.
- The European Commission previously fined Google €2.42 billion for similar antitrust violations.
A Swedish court has ordered Google to pay approximately 14.3 billion Swedish kronor, equivalent to about €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion), in antitrust damages to PriceRunner, a price comparison service owned by Klarna. The Stockholm Patent and Market Court ruled that Google unlawfully favored its own shopping service for years, causing harm to PriceRunner. PriceRunner had sought around 80 billion kronor (€7.2 billion) in damages, but the court found in favor of PriceRunner on the substance of the accusation. This decision follows a 2017 European Commission ruling that fined Google €2.42 billion for abusing its dominance in online search by favoring its comparison-shopping service, a decision later upheld by the EU's highest court. Google has stated it will challenge the ruling, maintaining it has made changes to comply with previous requirements. Klarna's shares rose 11.5% in pre-market trading following the news.