Google has been ordered to pay 14.3 billion Swedish kronor (€1.7 billion) in damages to PriceRunner, owned by Klarna, after a Swedish court ruled that the company unlawfully favored its own shopping service in search results, according to EuroNews.
The ruling was issued by the Patent and Market Court in Stockholm, which concluded that Google’s practices caused long-term commercial harm to PriceRunner by giving preferential treatment to its own comparison-shopping platform.
Court Finds Google Abused Its Market Position
According to EuroNews, the court determined that PriceRunner suffered financial losses over several years because Google promoted its own shopping service ahead of competing comparison websites.
Although Klarna had sought approximately 80 billion Swedish kronor (€7.2 billion) in damages, the court awarded 14.3 billion kronor, making it one of the largest damages awards ever granted in Sweden.
The decision builds on an earlier antitrust case. In 2017, the European Commission fined Google €2.42 billion for abusing its dominance in online search, a decision later upheld by the Court of Justice of the European Union in 2024.
Google Plans to Challenge the Decision
Google said it disagrees with the ruling and is reviewing its legal options.
In a statement provided to EuroNews, the company said the changes introduced to Google Shopping in 2017 have supported the growth of hundreds of comparison-shopping services operating across Europe.
The ruling can still be appealed, meaning the final compensation amount could change following further legal proceedings.
Boost for Klarna
PriceRunner filed the lawsuit in 2022, arguing that Google’s search practices reduced its visibility and harmed its business for more than a decade. Klarna acquired the platform the same year and integrated its price-comparison technology into its ecosystem.
Following the court’s decision, Klarna shares rose 11.5% in pre-market trading.
According to EuroNews, the case represents another setback for Google as European regulators continue efforts to strengthen competition and limit the market dominance of major technology platforms.
Photo: Bloomberg
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