Google ordered to pay EUR 2.95B by EU over adtech practices

The European Commission announced that it has adopted a decision finding that Google breached EU competition rules by abusing its dominant position in the display advertising technology industry and imposed a fine. This reaffirms the EU’s unequivocal commitment to competition enforcement, the Commission said in a statement. As a result of Google’s illegal practices, advertisers faced higher marketing costs which they likely passed on to European consumers in the form of higher prices for products and services, the EU said. Google has been ordered to pay a fine of EUR 2.95B. “In line with our usual practice, we increased Google’s fine since this is the third time Google breaks the rules of the game. But a mere fine in this case is not enough to deliver real and tangible solutions for the market and to protect our consumers. This is why we have also ordered Google to stop its illegal practices and to put an end to its inherent conflict of interests in the Adtech industry. Google has 60 days to inform the Commission on how it plans to do so, and if it fails to propose a viable plan, the Commission will not hesitate to impose an appropriate remedy.”