Google rivals line up seeking damages after record $1 billion fine

BRUSSELS: A decades-long crackdown on Google’s business practices in Europe is entering a costly new phase, as the loss of the first case brought against it under new EU legislation opens the door to a wave of private lawsuits demanding up to $10 billion in damages.

Having already absorbed billions of dollars in EU fines since 2017, Alphabet’s search giant is now facing lawsuits from smaller rivals across Europe, according to half a dozen lawyers and litigation financiers, and a tally of cases filed in half a dozen countries.