The European Commission has fined tech giant Google €2.95 billion for violating EU antitrust rules by distorting competition in the advertising technology (“adtech”) industry.
Points of attention
- European Commission fines Google 2.95 billion euros for distorting competition in the adtech industry, violating EU antitrust rules.
- Google abused its dominant position by favoring its own advertising services, harming competitors, advertisers, and online publishers.
Google to pay 2.95 billion euros in fine
According to the European Commission's findings, Google did this by favoring its own online advertising services to the detriment of competing ad technology service providers, advertisers, and online publishers.
The investigation found that Google dominates the market for publisher ad servers with its DFP service and the market for open web ad buying software with its Google Ads and DV360 services. Both markets cover the entire European Economic Area.
The European Commission has found that, at least since 2014, Google has abused such a dominant position, in violation of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
European Commission Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera said: “Today’s decision shows that Google has abused its dominant position in ad technology, to the detriment of publishers, advertisers and consumers.
Such behavior is illegal under EU antitrust rules.”
Digital markets exist to serve people and must be based on trust and fairness. True freedom means a level playing field, where everyone competes on equal terms and citizens have real choice.
The European Commission has ordered Google to stop this practice of giving itself advantages and to take measures to end conflicts of interest throughout the adtech supply chain.
Google has 60 days to notify the European Commission of how the company intends to do this.
Trump has already reacted to this decision of the European Commission.
It is deeply unfair, and American taxpayers will not tolerate it. As I have said, my administration will not allow these discriminatory practices to continue.
Donald Trump
President of the United States
