EU Fines Google $3.45B for Giving Its Ad Tech Preferential Treatment

Core Points - The European Union has imposed a $3.45 billion fine on Google for anticompetitive advertising technology practices [1][2] - The fine is based on a complaint from the European Publishers Council, which alleges that Google favored its own ad services, harming competitors and publishers [2][3] - Google reported approximately $350 billion in revenue for 2024 and has been given a chance to demonstrate compliance before potential divestment from certain ad tech services [2] Group 1 - The European Commission emphasizes the need for trust and fairness in digital markets, stating that public institutions must act against dominant players abusing their power [3] - Google plans to appeal the decision, arguing that the fine is unjustified and that it will negatively impact thousands of European businesses [4] - The fine is part of a broader global regulatory effort to rein in the power of Big Tech companies, with Google being a frequent target [6] Group 2 - This fine is not Google's first encounter with EU antitrust actions; previous fines include $2.7 billion in 2017, $5 billion in 2018, and $1.7 billion in 2019 for various anticompetitive practices [8] - Recently, France's data protection authority also fined Google $381 million for improper cookie usage in Gmail [9] - A group of European publishers has filed a complaint against Google for using their content in AI Overviews earlier this year [9]