Google on Monday launched a legal challenge to a record 2.4-billion euro fine imposed by European anti-trust authorities for favouring its own shopping service, lodging an appeal at the EU court in Luxembourg.

A spokesman for the Court of Justice of the European Union told AFP the appeal had been submitted, setting up a court battle between Brussels and the internet giant that could take years to resolve and make already tense relations between Europe and the US tech giant even more fraught.