Swedish court rules record fine against Google over PriceRunner

The Patent and Market Court in Stockholm has ruled that Google must pay approximately 14.3 billion Swedish krona (about $1.97 billion) in damages to the price comparison service PriceRunner, which is part of Klarna. This is considered the largest private antitrust compensation in Swedish history.

According to the court, "it has been established that PriceRunner suffered damages because Google illegally promoted its own price comparison service for years." The information was confirmed by Klarna in an official statement, which specified the exact amount of the awarded compensation.

The trial took place between October and December 2025. The main accusations against the tech giant are that it systematically lowered the visibility of independent price comparison platforms in search results while giving preference to its own service, Google Shopping. Initially, PriceRunner sought damages of about $8.3 billion, which made the case the largest civil lawsuit of this type in the country.

The legal dispute began back in February 2022, when PriceRunner filed a lawsuit against Google for 2.1 billion euros. The case is based on a 2017 European Commission decision finding that the company abused its dominant market position by favoring its own service. Following the acquisition of PriceRunner by Klarna in 2022, the claim amount was significantly increased.

The announcement of the ruling was delayed several times—initially scheduled for April 15, then moved to June 10, June 26, and ultimately July 1. The reason cited by the court was a busy schedule.

The decision comes against a backdrop of increasing pressure on Google in Europe through a series of antitrust cases. In November 2025, a German court ordered the company to pay 572 million euros to two price comparison platforms, while claims totaling about 12 billion euros are still being reviewed in seven European countries.

Klarna warns that the process of actually receiving the compensation remains uncertain. Google has the right to appeal the decision, and any potential funds will be subject to distribution among former shareholders, litigation funds such as Nivalion, and tax liabilities. The case could also be heard by the Patent and Market Court of Appeal, which means that a final decision could take years.

Google continues to dispute such allegations and regularly appeals adverse court decisions in Europe.