EU accuses Google of antitrust violations in ad market.

European Regulators Accuse Google of Abusing Dominant Advertising Position

“Our preliminary concern is that Google may have used its market position to favor its own intermediation services,” Margrethe Vestager, the commission’s executive vice president in charge of competition policy, said in a statement.

The European Commission has filed an antitrust complaint against Google, alleging that the tech giant has abused its dominant position in the advertising market. This follows similar efforts by US regulators to curb Google’s market power in digital advertising. The commission’s preliminary opinion argues that Google has abused its role as the dominant digital advertiser and may be forced to sell parts of its business if found guilty.

Google Denies Accusations

Google has contested the claim, stating that their advertising technology tools help websites and apps fund their content and enable businesses of all sizes to reach new customers. Dan Taylor, Google’s Vice President of Global Ads, said in a statement, “The Commission’s investigation focuses on a narrow aspect of our advertising business and is not new. We disagree with the EC’s view and we will respond accordingly.”

Potential Consequences for Google

If found guilty, this would be Google’s fourth major violation in the EU. The company has already been fined three times between 2017 and 2019 for a total of $8.6 billion over allegations of “systematically favoring” its shopping service, abusing Android’s market dominance, and preventing AdSense users from accepting advertising from rival search engines. The United States also has two ongoing antitrust cases against Google, including one over its advertising technology.

European Parliament Passes AI Legislation

In related news, the European Parliament has passed AI legislation, marking a significant step towards the first rulebook for artificial intelligence. This legislation aims to ensure that AI is developed and used in a way that is safe and ethical, protecting the rights and privacy of EU citizens.

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