Advocate General Juliane Kokott recommended that the Court of Justice of the European Union reject the annulment of the €1.49 billion fine imposed on Google in 2019 over its online advertising practices through AdSense. She said the General Court had wrongly found the European Commission’s assessment of restrictive contract clauses with publishers inadequate. Although the recommendation is not binding, it revives the possibility of another legal setback for Google. If the case returns to the General Court, Kokott suggested the fine could be reduced because Google removed the disputed clauses in 2016. A final ruling is expected in 2027 following litigation brought by the European Commission against Google as part of six antitrust cases targeting the company.
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