Google Fined Nearly €3 Billion by EU for Ad Practices

Google Fined Nearly €3 Billion by EU for Ad Practices
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Google has been fined nearly €3 billion by the European Union for abusing its dominant position in the digital advertising market, as reported by The Guardian. This marks the fourth antitrust penalty issued by the EU against the company.

According to a European Commission investigation that began in June 2021, Google was found to be “self-preferencing” its own online display advertising technology services over those of its competitors. The Commission has ordered Google to cease these practices and address the “conflicts of interest” within its ad technology supply chain.

Google has stated that it considers the decision “wrong” and plans to appeal. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s global head of regulatory affairs, commented that the ruling imposes an “unjustified fine” that will have a detrimental effect on numerous European businesses. While the European Commission had initially considered forcing Google to divest parts of its business, the current ruling represents a step back from that more severe measure.