In a significant legal victory, Google has successfully challenged a €1.49 billion antitrust fine imposed by the European Commission.

The ruling comes after the EU Commission has levied fines exceeding €8 billion on Google over the years, prompting the tech giant to adapt its business practices while its online advertising revenue continues to grow.

This decision provides some relief for the Commission, especially following a previous ruling in 2022 that quashed an enforcement action against Qualcomm.

As Google continues to face scrutiny, it is also under investigation for potential violations of the Digital Markets Act alongside other tech giants.

The European Commission is now contemplating its next steps, which may include an appeal to the EU's top court.

The EU judges determined that the Commission did not sufficiently prove that Google abused its dominant position in search engine advertising through its 'AdSense for Search' service.

This ruling is expected to influence future antitrust cases, potentially raising the burden of proof required to demonstrate anti-competitive behavior.

Commission spokeswoman Lea Zuber indicated that the EU will carefully analyze the General Court's judgment before deciding on further actions.

The court criticized the Commission for failing to adequately assess whether publishers had viable alternatives to the clauses in question, such as contract renewal or termination.

Additionally, the court found errors in the Commission's assessment, particularly regarding whether the identified clauses individually constituted an abuse of dominant position.

The court's findings reinforce the notion that the online advertising market consists of separate segments, which could strengthen future investigations into the practices of major tech companies.