Google Fined €126M by Paris Court in Landmark Adtech Case

A Paris court has ordered Google to pay €126 million in damages to four French media groups for anti-competitive practices in the online advertising market, marking the latest legal setback for the US tech giant in Europe. The ruling, handed down on Monday by the Tribunal des activités économiques de Paris, represents a significant victory for publishers who have long accused Google of abusing its dominance in the digital ad sector.

The Ruling

The damages were awarded to four plaintiffs: Prisma Media received €61 million, video platform Dailymotion was awarded €27.5 million, Le Figaro obtained €26 million, and Les Echos-Le Parisien received €11.5 million. The four groups had initially sought a combined €570 million, according to La Libre Belgique.

The court found that Google had favored its own online advertising sales platform when allocating ad space, to the detriment of competitors — a practice that constitutes anti-competitive behavior under French law.

Google’s Response

A Google spokesperson contested the ruling, stating that the company “contests the court’s decisions” and that the damage claims “rely on erroneous interpretations of the adtech sector, which is a highly competitive and rapidly evolving industry.” Google has not yet decided whether to appeal the four decisions, as Le Figaro reported.

A Growing Legal Precedent

Marc Feuillée, CEO of Le Figaro Group, noted that a clear legal framework is now taking shape. “With the previous decisions rendered in favor of Rossel, L’Equipe and M6, a jurisprudence is now established,” Feuillée said, as cited by mind Media, the specialized outlet that first broke the story.

The Belgian media group Rossel won approximately €20 million from Google in December 2025 in a landmark case at the same Paris court, as reported by Trends-Tendances. French TV group M6 followed with a €23 million award in March 2026, and sports daily L’Equipe also secured a victory in a separate proceeding.

Broader Regulatory Pressure

This ruling is part of a sustained European campaign to rein in Google’s advertising dominance. In June 2021, the French Competition Authority fined Google €220 million for similar practices. More significantly, the European Commission imposed a €2.95 billion fine on Google in September 2025 for abusing its dominance in adtech, one of the largest antitrust penalties in history, and ordered the company to divest parts of its adtech business.

The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which designates Google as a “gatekeeper,” further imposes strict rules on its advertising practices.

What’s Next

Google may appeal the Paris court’s decision, a process that could take years. Meanwhile, more European media companies are expected to file similar lawsuits, emboldened by the growing body of favorable rulings. The European Commission’s order for Google to divest adtech assets could fundamentally reshape the online advertising market if upheld.

The case also highlights ongoing transatlantic tensions over the regulation of American technology giants, with the European Commission’s record fine having drawn criticism from former US President Donald Trump.