In a thunderous blow to Silicon Valley’s most powerful player, the European Union (EU) has imposed a €2.95 billion ($3.5 billion) antitrust fine on Google for abusing its dominance in the advertising technology industry (‘adtech’).
What The EU Found
The European Commission, the bloc’s top antitrust regulator, concluded that Google had “distorted competition” by unfairly favoring its own online display advertising technology services, particularly its AdX exchange, over those of rivals, harming publishers, advertisers, and ultimately consumers.
Further, the regulators added that Google’s practices gave it an unfair advantage across the entire advertising supply chain — from ad buyers to publishers — reinforcing its dominant position and allowing it to charge higher fees.
“Today’s decision shows that Google abused its dominant position in adtech by harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers. This behavior is illegal under EU antitrust rules. Google must now come forward with a serious remedy to address its conflicts of interest, and if it fails to do so, we will not hesitate to impose strong remedies,” said EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera.
Google’s Response
Unsurprisingly, Google has rejected the findings and said that it would appeal.
“The European Commission’s decision about our ad tech services is wrong and we will appeal. It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money,” Lee-Anne Mulholland, the company’s Global Head of Regulatory Affairs, said in a statement.
“There’s nothing anticompetitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever before.”
A Pattern Of Fines
The penalty marks the fourth major sanction against Google in a decade-long battle over competition between the company and Brussels, pushing its EU penalties close to €10 billion.
- 2017: €4.34 billion fine for illegally using the Android operating system to strengthen its dominance of its search engine
- 2018: €2.42 billion fine for abusing its market dominance as a search engine over shopping search results
- 2019: €1.49 billion fine for blocking advertising companies from displaying search ads on publisher search results pages
The series of fines makes clear the EU’s broader mission: to hold Google accountable for what it sees as systemic anticompetitive behavior.
What’s Next
Google now has 60 days to present a compliance plan — or face even tougher sanctions. If it fails, regulators may consider stronger remedies, including forcing the company to sell parts of its advertising business.
With the global digital ad market projected to hit $757 billion in 2025 — and Google earning more than $200 billion annually from ads — the stakes could not be higher.
As Ribera puts it, the message from Brussels is clear: “Digital markets exist to serve people and must be grounded in trust and fairness. And when markets fail, public institutions must act to prevent dominant players from abusing their power. True freedom means a level playing field, where everyone competes on equal terms and citizens have a genuine right to choose.”
