EU hits Google with 2.95 billion EUR mega-fine for breaching ad rules

Brussels – Distortion of competition in online advertising technology and violation of EU rules result in a €2.95 billion fine for Google. The European Commission finds that the web giant favoured its own sales promotion services to the detriment of competing advertising technology service providers, and has therefore imposed the fine. ​

“Google has abused its dominant position in adtech, harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers”, said Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s executive vice-president responsible for Competitive and Fair Transition. “Google must now present a serious solution to resolve its conflicts of interest, and if it does not do so, we will not hesitate to impose strict measures,” she threatens. The Mountain View company now has 60 days to submit corrective measures to put an end to the abuse and restore normal market conditions.

 https://www.eunews.it/2021/11/10/stangata-google-ue/ 

The EU executive’s decision is part of the delicate and complex relationship with the United States. It comes after moments of tension over the Trump administration’s views on the twelve-star policy on industry and the digital marketplace. The move that sparked uproar, with the EU ready to defend its autonomy in decision-making. The fine against one of the leading US tech giants comes amid this backdrop. “Public institutions must act to prevent dominant actors from abusing their power,” Ribera continues. 

It is not the first time the European Commission has imposed fines, and substantial ones at that, on Google. A €2.4 billion fine was imposed in 2017 for violating competition rules. The fine was upheld by the EU General Court in 2021, and that same year, Google was fined €500 million for failing to negotiate in good faith with French publishers. In 2018, Google was fined a massive €4.3 billion for illegal practices concerning Android mobile devices (subsequently reduced to €4.1 billion), while a €1.49 billion fine was imposed in March 2019 for unlawful advertising.