Alphabet’s Google has been ordered by a Swedish court to pay nearly $2 billion in damages to price comparison platform PriceRunner, now owned by fintech giant Klarna. The Stockholm Patent and Market Court ruled on July 1 that Google illegally favored its own shopping service in search results, harming rivals like PriceRunner over many years.
The award amounts to approximately 14.3 billion Swedish kronor, and with accrued interest the total reaches almost $1.97 billion according to Klarna. Although PriceRunner had originally sought around 78 billion crowns, the court still delivered the largest competition damages award in Swedish history.
The case traces back to the European Commission’s landmark 2017 antitrust decision, which fined Google €2.42 billion for abusing its search dominance. That ruling was upheld by the EU’s highest court in 2024, cementing the legal basis for follow-on compensation claims. PriceRunner sued in 2022, arguing it suffered sustained commercial damage when Google demoted rival comparison sites and boosted its own shopping product from 2008 onward.
Google disputes the judgment and is considering an appeal, which could delay any payout by more than a year. The outcome adds to a growing pipeline of European damages claims—German rivals Idealo and Producto have already won awards, and Italy’s Moltiply Group is seeking €2.97 billion for its Trovaprezzi.it service.
While Alphabet’s share price showed only a minor dip in premarket trading, the ruling extends a significant legal overhang. For Klarna, the decision validates PriceRunner’s position and could eventually bring a financial boost after legal and tax deductions.
