EU fines Google $3.5B over adtech ‘abuse'

Group 1: Antitrust Fine and Violations - The European Commission has fined Google €2.95 billion (approximately $3.5 billion) for violating EU antitrust rules by favoring its own advertising services [1] - The commission found that Google "abused" its "dominant positions" by prioritizing its ad exchange AdX in both its publisher ad server and ad-buying tools [1][2] - This fine is the second largest antitrust fine in the EU's history, following a $5 billion fine against Google in 2018 [3] Group 2: Response and Future Actions - Google has 60 days to end its self-preferencing practices and implement measures to address conflicts of interest in the adtech supply chain [2] - A Google spokesperson stated that the company would appeal the commission's decision, arguing that there is nothing anticompetitive about its services [2] - U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the fine, highlighting concerns over penalties against American tech companies [3][4] Group 3: Related Developments in the U.S. - In a separate development, Google achieved an antitrust victory in the U.S., where a federal judge's ruling on its monopoly in online search did not align with the Justice Department's proposals for more severe remedies [6]