Google Faces €3 Billion Fine

The European Union has fined Google nearly €3 billion for abusing its dominance in the ad tech market. Regulators found that Google favoured its own online display advertising technology, harming competitors, advertisers, and publishers. The European Commission has ordered Google to cease these practices and address conflicts of interest within 60 days. Failure to comply could result in further penalties.

The EU's investigation, initiated in June 2021, revealed that Google's actions violated the bloc's competition rules. The Commission aims to ensure fair competition in the ad tech ecosystem. Google has criticised the decision and intends to challenge it in court, arguing that its services offer more alternatives than ever before and that the changes will hurt European businesses.

This penalty marks the fourth antitrust fine for Google from the EU. In addition to the fine, the EU is demanding structural changes to Google's business operations, potentially including asset divestiture.