Swedish Court Orders Google to Pay PriceRunner €1.3 Billion in Damages

Background: The EU Already Imposed a Record Fine in 2017

The background to the case is a 2017 decision by the European Commission, which had already imposed a record fine of €2.4 billion on Google. At the time, the Commission accused the U.S. company of abusing its dominant position in online search to favor its own price comparison service. The Swedish court has now found it proven that for many years Google unlawfully favored its own price comparison service over competitors such as PriceRunner. PriceRunner has been part of Klarna since 2022.

PriceRunner argued in its lawsuit, according to TT, that this abuse had continued until the end of 2023. Google rejected this claim. A company spokesperson told Reuters that Google had adjusted its shopping ads since 2017; they worked well and supported jobs and growth at price comparison services. Upon request, the company stated: "Wir sind mit der Entscheidung des Gerichts nicht einverstanden, prüfen den Fall derzeit und werden unsere rechtlichen Möglichkeiten abwägen." In doing so, the company indicated that an appeal against the ruling is conceivable.

Reactions: Klarna Welcomes the Ruling, Google Announces Review

On the plaintiff's side, there was relief over the outcome. Dan Greaves, Head of Communications and Policy at Klarna, said in a statement: "Wenn Märkte gut funktionieren, profitieren alle davon. Verbraucher erhalten höhere Qualität zu niedrigeren Kosten, Unternehmen konzentrieren sich darauf, ihre Kunden zu bedienen, anstatt ihre Marktposition zu verteidigen, und die Gesellschaft geht daraus gestärkt hervor." Greaves also pointed to the public interest in functioning markets.

The news had an immediate impact on Klarna's share price. After the ruling became known, the Swedish payment service provider's stock rose by around 7.5 percent in pre-market trading. Observers interpreted this as a sign that investors were satisfied with the outcome of the proceedings and viewed future risks for the price comparison business as limited.

Implications for the Financial Market and Open Legal Questions

Legally, the ruling is not yet final. The Swedish court made clear that Google can appeal the decision. Should the company take this route, the proceedings would continue before a higher court, potentially extending the legal dispute by several years. Industry experts see the case as an important test of how national courts in Europe apply EU competition authority guidelines in civil damages proceedings.

Industry associations and consumer advocates in Sweden reacted with cautious approval. They see the ruling as a signal to large platform operators that anti-competitive behavior can still have consequences even after the European Commission has already imposed a fine. At the same time, observers warned that the high penalty should not obscure the fact that the court had rejected the lion's share of PriceRunner's claim.

This brings a years-long legal battle to a provisional end with a clear signal to Google, but not with the full success the plaintiff had hoped for. The ruling shows that courts are willing to financially punish the abuse of a dominant market position even years after the original antitrust proceedings. The report was broadcast on 1 July 2026 on Deutschlandfunk.