Google appeals against EU's €2.4bn fine over search engine results

Google is appealing against the record €2.4bn (£2.2bn) fine imposed by the European Union for its abuse of its dominance of the search engine market in building its shopping comparison service. The world's most popular internet search engine has launched its appeal after it was fined by the European commission for what was described as an "old school" form of illegality. The Luxembourg-based general court, Europe's second-highest, is expected to take several years before ruling on Google's appeal, which had been widely expected. The Silicon Valley giant had responded to the fine at the time of its announcement by saying that it "respectfully" disagreed with the legal argument being pursued. A spokesman for the commission said: "The commission will defend its decision in court."