EU court backs Brussels in landmark rulings against Apple, Google.
In major wins for the European Commission, the EU Court of Justice ruled against Apple and Google in separate long-running cases.
For Apple, the court upheld a 2016 order for Ireland to collect €13 billion in unpaid taxes. Regulators had found Apple secured illegal tax deals. The money will now go to Ireland.
Apple argued the EU was retroactively changing rules and ignored its US tax payments. It expects a $10 billion charge in Q4 over the ruling.
In the Google case, the court agreed with the Commission’s 2017 fine of €2.4 billion for favoring its shopping service. Google said it had already complied but critics say changes were insufficient.
The cases established the Commission, led by Margrethe Vestager, as a tough global tech regulator but highlighted the slow EU legal process.
Vestager welcomed the rulings, especially overturning the earlier Apple decision. The Google case set a new framework for digital antitrust.
Both tech giants face additional EU and US antitrust scrutiny over issues like app store policies and digital ad businesses.
The rulings mark significant victories for the Commission in curbing Big Tech’s market power and influencing regulatory approaches worldwide.
