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In a bold legal strike that reignites long-simmering tensions over Big Tech’s power in Europe, Italy’s Moltiply Group announced on Friday that it has filed a €2.97 billion ($3.34 billion) lawsuit against Google, alleging abuse of market dominance that stifled competition and damaged its business for nearly a decade.

The lawsuit, lodged in a Milan court, centers around Google's preferential treatment of its own service, Google Shopping, at the expense of rivals like Trovaprezzi.it, a leading Italian price comparison platform operated by Moltiply's subsidiary 7Pixel.

“This lawsuit is about fairness in the digital marketplace,” Moltiply said in a statement. “Google’s anti-competitive tactics denied Italian consumers true choice and undercut homegrown innovation.”

Echoes of an EU Giant: A €2.42B Fine Revisited

The lawsuit draws momentum from a landmark European Commission decision in 2017, where Google was fined €2.42 billion for unfairly promoting its own price comparison tool over competitors. That ruling became final in September when the EU Court of Justice rejected Google’s appeal, effectively branding the tech giant’s actions as anticompetitive conduct.

Now, Moltiply is seeking restitution for what it calls the "deliberate stifling" of its growth between 2010 and 2017, a period during which it claims Google manipulated search rankings to bury Trovaprezzi.it and promote Google Shopping instead.

The Invisible Hand of the Algorithm

At the heart of the case is the Google algorithm—an invisible hand that shapes what billions of users see. Moltiply argues that Google used its algorithm not as an impartial tool, but as a weapon to sideline competition, tilting the digital shelf in its own favor.

This, the company says, blocked 7Pixel’s ability to grow, harmed consumer access to fair pricing options, and gave Google an unlawful edge in e-commerce advertising revenue.

“When a global platform tilts the playing field, it doesn’t just hurt competitors—it hurts users, innovation, and markets,” one European antitrust expert noted.

Google's Response? Silence, For Now

A Google spokesperson in Italy declined to comment on the lawsuit, which is still in its early stages. However, the case threatens to reopen regulatory wounds and could intensify calls for stricter antitrust enforcement and greater platform accountability in the European Union.

Google has repeatedly insisted that it complies with competition laws and that its Shopping service benefits consumers. But with billions on the line and a growing dossier of legal setbacks in Europe, the tech giant may soon find itself back in the regulatory hot seat.

Tech's Legal Reckoning Continues

Moltiply’s claim is part of a broader European backlash against tech monopolies, following a series of high-profile penalties and legislative efforts like the Digital Markets Act, aimed at curbing the dominance of platforms like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta.

And if Moltiply’s legal bid succeeds, it could set a precedent for other digital rivals to seek reparations for past market distortions—potentially opening the floodgates for further claims against Big Tech in Europe.