The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that a decades-long crackdown on Google's business practices in Europe is entering a costly new phase, as the loss of the first case brought against it under new EU legislation opens the door to a wave of private lawsuits demanding up to $10-billion (U.S.) in damages. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that having already absorbed billions of dollars in fines from the European Union since 2017, Alphabet's search giant is now facing lawsuits from smaller rivals across Europe. That has been precipitated by a $1-billion (U.S.) fine, the first under the Digital Markets Act, imposed on the company for favouring its own services and preventing app developers from steering users to cheaper options outside its app store Google Play. That finding of wrongdoing may embolden more parties to sue. "I think this will trigger a new wave of litigation," said Thomas Hoppner, a partner at Geradin Partners, which advised German price comparison platform Idealo for market abuse. A Berlin court in November awarded Idealo 465 million euros in damages, the biggest fine ever awarded by a court in Germany for an antitrust infringement. Google said there is no merit in the claims.