The European Commission has announced that Google is using its position to promote its own advertising exchanges at the expense of competition. In the opinion of EU officials, such practices undermine fair competition and limit the choice of consumers.
Commissioner for Competition Protection, Teresa Ribera, emphasized in a statement that in such cases the intervention of public institutions is necessary.
“True freedom means equal opportunities, where everyone competes on equal conditions, and citizens have the real right of choice,” says Ribera.
Google criticizes the EU decision
Google does not agree with the decision. The company announced that it would appeal.
Lee-Anne Mulholland, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs in the company, expressed its disappointment with the actions of the European Commission. Claims that The imposed penalty is unjustified, and the changes demanded by the EU will negatively affect thousands of European enterprises.
“This move imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will harm thousands of European companies, making it difficult for them to earn money,” Mulholland argued.
This is not the first time Google has to face criticism about his business model. Already in 2023, the European Commission accused the company of favoring its advertising program, which was to negatively affect online publishers and other players on the market.
The rest of the article under video material:
The Commission stated that such activities strengthen the dominant position of Google in the complex chain of advertising technology supply.
Voltage on the EU -USA line
The European Commission's decision may affect trade relations between the United States and the European Union. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized European decisions against American companies, calling them an attempt to reduce US domination in the technology industry. The last EU activities towards Google can therefore become another inflammatory point in relations between Brussels and Washington.
Read also: Google introduces new smartphones from AI. Some functions are controversial
This, however, does not change the fact that both at European and world levels, technological corporations such as Google are increasingly dealing with regulations that are to limit their impact on the market and increase competition.
