On June 19, 2025, when the
European Court of Justice, the E.U.’s supreme court, received a nonbinding
opinion from the advocate general, Juliane Kokott, recommending that Google’s
appeal against an anti-trust fine of €4 billion be dismissed by the court. The
E.U.’s executive branch, the Commission, had found in 2018 that the company had
“used the dominance of its mobile Android operating system to throttle competition
and reduce consumer choice.”[1]
I contend that the company’s written statement in response can be characterized
as “stone-deaf” or oblivious to the issue at hand. Such is not an effective way
of managing threats in the environment of business. Moreover, the response itself
illustrates why governmental action on anti-trust on behalf of market
competition is valid and necessary. I contend that the invisible-hand mechanism
of a restored competitive market is more reliable than depending on managerial intentions
even if they are to be based on motivation that is social-engineered from
fines.
The full essay is at "The E.U. on Anti-Trust Enforcement."
1. “Google Hits Setback in Bid to Overturn Multibillion EU Antitrust Fine in Android Case,” APnews.com, June 19, 2025.
