The European Commission has announced a fine of 2.95 billion euros (nearly $3.5 billion) against Google for violating EU antitrust rules. The regulator concluded that the company systematically favored its own services in advertising tools.
The European Commission has announced a fine of 2.95 billion euros (nearly $3.5 billion) against Google for violating EU antitrust rules. The regulator concluded that the company systematically favored its own services in advertising tools.
According to TechCrunch, citing an official notice from the European Commission, Google abused its dominant position by promoting its own AdX ad exchange through a server for publishers and its own ad purchasing systems. The companies were given 60 days to stop this practice and develop measures that would eliminate conflicts of interest in the advertising chain.
European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera said that digital markets must work fairly and in the public interest. If Google does not offer a real solution, Brussels may apply even tougher sanctions.
Google announced its intention to appeal the decision. A company representative told The Wall Street Journal that there was enough competition in the market and that their services were just one of many alternatives. At the same time, American media reported that the announcement of the fine had been postponed from September 1 due to sensitive negotiations between the EU and the US on a trade agreement.
This is the second largest antitrust fine in the history of the European Union, after the $5 billion that Google paid in 2018. The criticism came not only from the company, but also from US President Donald Trump. He accused Brussels of «unfair pressure» on American corporations and threatened to launch the Section 301 procedure to block such decisions.
This is not the first time Google has been the subject of antitrust investigations in the EU. Over the past decade, the company has been hit with record fines related to search, its Android mobile operating system, and Google Shopping. Meanwhile, the US is currently in its own legal battle over Google’s search monopoly. The court found the company guilty but refused to force the separation of Chrome or Android, a partial victory for Google in its home market.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Google could suffer from another round of sanctions from the European Union’s supervisory services, which threatens with a large fine and an ultimatum to change its business model.
