Meet the couple who just cost Google £2.4 billion in antitrust fines

Google fined £2.4bn for antitrust violation after a 15-year battle with Foundem.

: Google faces a £2.4 billion antitrust fine following a 15-year legal battle with Foundem, a site created by Adam and Shivaun Raff, over market abuse. In 2006, Foundem was unfairly penalized by Google's algorithm, leading to its downfall. The European Court of Justice confirmed the fine, but Foundem went out of business before Google's compliance. The Raffs now pursue a civil suit against Alphabet for damages.

Adam and Shivaun Raff launched Foundem, a UK-based comparison-shopping site, in 2006. They faced significant setbacks when Google's search algorithm penalized their website, forcing it deep into search results while competing platforms secured higher visibility. Despite attempts to address the issue with Google directly, the penalties persisted and drew attention only when Brussels regulators stepped in.

In 2010, the European Commission began an antitrust investigation, leading to a groundbreaking £2.4 billion fine for Google in 2017. This development, however, came a year too late as Foundem had already closed in 2016. The European Court of Justice recently upheld the fine against Google, reaffirming the company's infractions against Foundem and others such as Microsoft and Expedia.

While Google maintains it has adhered to Commission directives post-2017, Adam and Shivaun Raff continue their legal challenge with a civil suit against Google's parent company, Alphabet. They aim to recover losses incurred from legal battles and the collapse of their business. The trial is scheduled for the first half of 2026, underscoring their dedication to pursuing justice for their company.

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