Klarna has secured a $1.97 billion antitrust damages award against Google after a Stockholm court ruled in favor of its subsidiary Price Runner. The buy-now-pay-later provider's price comparison unit alleged that Google's preferential treatment of its own shopping service cost independent competitors revenue while raising consumer costs.

Price Runner claimed Google systematically favored its comparison shopping platform over third-party services, creating an uneven playing field in online retail. The Patent and Market Court in Stockholm found sufficient evidence to award nearly $1.97 billion in damages, marking a significant win for the Swedish fintech's legal strategy.

The ruling could reshape how tech giants operate comparison shopping services across Europe, where regulators have increasingly scrutinized Google's market dominance. Klarna acquired Price Runner in 2022 to integrate product discovery and price comparison features into its core platform, positioning itself as a more comprehensive commerce tool.

Dan Greaves, Klarna's head of communications and policy, said the decision supports healthier competition in product comparison markets. This verdict sends a clear signal that preferential treatment of proprietary services over independents carries substantial financial risk in European courts.