Italy’s Moltiply Slaps Google with €2.97B Antitrust Lawsuit

Italy’s Moltiply Group, the operator behind the popular price comparison website Trovaprezzi.it, has launched a headline-grabbing €2.97 billion ($3.34 billion) lawsuit against Google, escalating Europe’s intensifying legal fight with Big Tech. Filed in a Milan court, the case claims that Google abused its market dominance between 2010 and 2017, stifling the growth of Moltiply’s subsidiary, 7Pixel, while unfairly pushing its own Google Shopping service to the top of search results.

The lawsuit is no isolated grumble; it’s rooted in a major 2017 European Commission decision that fined Google €2.42 billion for giving preferential treatment to Google Shopping over smaller European rivals. That ruling, which Google fought in Europe’s top court and ultimately lost in September 2024, has paved the way for companies like Moltiply to seek damages on national turf. Now, Moltiply is making the case that Google’s behavior cost it billions in lost business opportunities, eroded its competitive edge, and shrank its market share in one of Europe’s fastest-growing digital sectors.

For context, Google Shopping is the search engine’s built-in price comparison tool that shows products and prices directly on the search page. Regulators determined that by boosting its product, Google squeezed out smaller competitors, violating EU antitrust rules designed to maintain fair digital marketplaces. Moltiply claims that 7Pixel was directly affected by this squeeze and was unable to grow as it otherwise would have without Google’s alleged interference.

While Moltiply has gone public with its legal challenge, Google has stayed largely silent for now. An Italian spokesperson for the tech giant declined to comment immediately on the case, and details about the specific court filings remain under wraps. However, Italian daily Corriere della Sera first reported the Milan filing, signaling that this is just the opening shot in what could become a lengthy, high-profile courtroom battle.

This legal move is part of a larger trend unfolding across Europe. As regulators tighten the screws on Big Tech, national companies are increasingly turning to the courts to claim compensation for past harms. With landmark rulings from EU authorities as their legal backbone, these companies are now pushing for financial redress, and Moltiply’s massive €2.97 billion claim is among the most ambitious yet.

The implications go beyond Moltiply and Google. Europe’s Digital Markets Act and other competition-focused regulations are reshaping the tech landscape, making it clear that regulatory fines are no longer the only risk Big Tech faces — they must now contend with private legal actions, too. And with the U.S. stepping up its antitrust push, the global wave of scrutiny on companies like Google shows no sign of receding.

For Moltiply, the road ahead will be long and legally complex, but the stakes are high. If the Italian company succeeds, it could not only recover significant financial damages but also inspire other European businesses to launch similar claims, intensifying the pressure on tech giants to rethink how they operate in competitive markets.

As this legal drama unfolds, industry watchers and legal experts alike will be closely following Google’s next moves — and wondering how many more lawsuits are waiting in the wings.