Sweden court orders Google to pay $1.97 billion to Klarna in antitrust damages case

Google has been ordered to pay 1.97 billion dollars in antitrust damages to Klarna after a Swedish court concluded the company unlawfully gave preference to its own shopping comparison service, according to a report published July 1.

The ruling comes from the Patent and Market Court in Stockholm, which determined that Google’s conduct in its shopping comparisons violated competition rules. The decision centers on how Google arranged or promoted shopping results, with the court finding that the bias benefitted Google’s own offering.

Klarna is among the businesses affected by the dispute, and it is set to receive the damages award. Klarna’s involvement reflects the case’s focus on how rival comparison services could be disadvantaged when a dominant platform’s display and ranking decisions favor its own products.

The damages figure, while substantial in absolute terms, was described as significantly lower than the amount PriceRunner sought. That gap highlights how courts may accept that harm occurred while still disagreeing with the magnitude of damages claimed by affected competitors.

The report characterizes the case as one in which Google’s shopping comparison service received unlawful preferential treatment. In antitrust terms, such findings typically hinge on whether a company that operates a key gateway to online commerce used that position to steer users toward its own downstream services.

For Alphabet and Google, the decision adds to the ongoing scrutiny that search and advertising companies face in Europe, where competition authorities and courts have repeatedly challenged bundling, ranking conduct, and self-preferencing practices. Shopping comparison tools are especially sensitive because they sit between consumers and merchants and can influence which retailers gain traffic.

Even with a damages award, the specifics of the court’s reasoning and the precise remedies beyond the payment were not detailed in the report. The article also did not indicate whether Google plans to appeal, whether additional claims remain pending, or whether the court’s findings could be expanded or modified in later proceedings.

What to watch next is how Google responds procedurally, including any appeal, and whether other similarly situated competitors pursue related claims or adjustments. Investors and competition-watchers will also look for clarification on how the Swedish court’s self-preferencing analysis could shape future disputes about product comparison and ranking in digital marketplaces.