Yahoo Finance·2026-02-12 18:14Group 1 - The European Commission has initiated a new probe into Google over allegations of illegally manipulating advertising costs on its search engine, potentially harming advertisers [3][4] - The suspected actions could violate competition rules, leading to fines that may reach up to 10% of Google's global annual sales [4] - The investigation is in its early stages, with the possibility of a formal announcement by Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera in the near future [5] Group 2 - Google has defended its advertising practices, stating that ad prices are determined through a real-time auction that considers factors like competition and ad quality [6] - The ongoing scrutiny could add to Google's existing €9.5 billion ($11.3 billion) in fines from the EU and may strain relations with the Trump administration [8] - Under the EU's Digital Markets Act, Google has been given a six-month deadline to remove technical barriers for rival AI search assistants and share key data with other search engine providers [8] Group 3 - Google is also facing potential penalties under the Digital Markets Act for allegedly favoring its own services and restricting app developers from directing consumers to external offers outside its Play Store [9]