The European Union’s regulatory body has imposed a fine of €2.95 billion (approximately $3.5 billion) on Google for violating competition laws by prioritizing its own digital advertising services. This penalty marks the fourth antitrust fine against the company, following a shift from previous discussions about potentially breaking up the tech giant.
The European Commission, responsible for enforcing competition regulations within the 27-member bloc, instructed Google to halt its self-preferencing practices and to take measures aimed at preventing conflicts of interest within the advertising technology supply chain. An investigation initiated by the Commission in June 2021 concluded that Google had misused its influential position in the ad-tech ecosystem.
Google has publicly disagreed with the Commission’s findings, labeling the decision as incorrect and indicating plans to appeal the ruling. A company spokesperson expressed concerns that the imposed changes would negatively impact numerous European businesses by complicating their revenue generation efforts.
This ruling comes after over two years of investigations and follows earlier statements from EU officials suggesting that a forced divestiture might be necessary to address ongoing antitrust issues. Previous fines and corrective requirements had reportedly failed to bring about significant changes in Google’s business practices.
The European Commission’s investigation evaluated whether Google’s conduct was detrimental to rival publishers, advertisers, and other advertising technology services. The focus of the inquiry was Google’s practices in online display advertising, consisting of personalized ads that appear on various websites based on user browsing history.
The decision reflects ongoing tensions in the landscape of tech regulation, illustrating the challenges of ensuring fair competition in the digital advertising market.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/05/google-fined-european-union