Belgian watchdog opens probe into Google's online ad price practices

Core Viewpoint - Belgium's competition watchdog has initiated an investigation into Google's online advertising practices, indicating potential antitrust violations due to the company's market power abuse [1] Group 1: Investigation Details - The investigation is in its preliminary phase, and the outcome remains uncertain [1] - The competition authorities have stated there are "serious indications" of breaches of antitrust rules by Google [1] Group 2: Context and Background - Google is already facing multiple antitrust investigations from the European Union and has incurred fines amounting to billions of euros for similar violations in recent years [1] - Recently, Google warned advertisers about the risk of another antitrust investigation by the European Commission concerning the potential inflation of online advertising prices [1] Group 3: Market Position - Google holds a dominant position in the multibillion-dollar online advertising market, claiming that its Search ads support small businesses in competing with larger brands and contribute to keeping the web accessible [1]