Ceneo -- a subsidiary of Polish ecommerce platform Allegro, reportedly one of the most popular online shopping destinations in the country -- has filed a lawsuit against Google's parent Alphabet, Google Ireland, and Google LLC, for $567 million based on unfair search practices.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, was made by Allegro in a statement. Ceneo alleges it suffered losses based on Google's practice of favoring its price-comparison service in browser results over Ceneo's own service.
Ceneo presented the suit days after Google filed proposed remedies to the antitrust lawsuit with the Department of Justice that explained alternative actions the DOJ could take and the reasoning behind them.
The explanations focused on the sale of Chrome and why it does not fit the company's actions that the judge found to be illegal. The actions focused on exclusive contracts with browsers such as Apple, smartphone manufacturers and telecom carriers.
The DOJ suggested to the judge that Google should sell Chrome to curb its control of the search marketplace and allow rivals like Bing and DuckDuckGo to have more opportunities. Google argues that the market has become crowded and there are plenty of opportunities for rivals to compete based on their performance.
A Google spokesperson, in an emailed statement to Reuters, said the company disagreed with the lawsuit and was considering its options.
"Our Shopping remedy has been working successfully for several years and we continue to invest in formats that support brands, retailers and comparison shopping sites of all sizes across Poland and Europe," the statement read.
This is not the only suit filed against Google in Europe during the past month. Japan's antitrust watchdog also reportedly accused Google of violating antitrust laws over its Chrome browser and bundling deals with smartphone makers, reported Nikkei Asia.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) alleges that Google broke the country's antitrust laws over its Chrome browser. Now it could issue a cease-and-desist order. The investigation has been ongoing since October 2024.