The European Commission has fined Google nearly €3 billion and ordered it to stop giving advantages to its own ad technology services, Bloomberg reports. The regulator found that the company abused its dominant position by promoting its own ad exchanges to the detriment of competitors.
EU Antitrust Commissioner Teresa Ribera said that Google's actions violate the principles of a level playing field and stressed the need to intervene when the market does not provide fair rules.
Google has announced its intention to appeal the decision. The company's vice president of regulatory affairs, Leigh-Ann Mulholland, called the fine unreasonable and noted that the EU's requirements could make it difficult for thousands of European companies to generate revenue.
The situation is unfolding against the backdrop of tense trade relations between the EU and the US. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized European measures against American technology corporations.
Google is also under antitrust investigation in the US over its advertising technology. The Justice Department is preparing proposals to address risks associated with the company's advertising business, including a possible sale of its Google Ad Manager platform. A hearing in the case is scheduled for September 22.
The European Commission warned Google back in 2023 about violations related to the priority of its own advertising exchange. Previous Commissioner Margrethe Vestager then stated that the problem could only be solved by a mandatory sale of part of the business. During her tenure, Google received more than €8 billion in fines in three separate cases, although some of them were reduced or canceled by the courts.
A US federal court previously ruled that Google can stop selling its Chrome browser in an antitrust case but must change some of its business practices. At the same time, the court ordered Google to pay $425 million for violating user privacy.