Google is set to be hit by another attack from European Union watchdogs, paving the way for a hefty fine and an order to change its business model unless the US giant takes rapid action to give more prominence to rivals across its sprawling search empire.

Europe's second-top court on Wednesday backed Alphabet unit Google's challenge against a 1.49 billion euros ($1.66 billion) antitrust fine imposed five years ago for hindering rivals in online search advertising.

Google parent Alphabet on Wednesday asked a London tribunal to throw out a mass lawsuit that accuses the tech giant of abusing its dominance in the online search market. The lawsuit – valued at up to 7 billion pounds ($9.