google was on wednesday Was accused The latest in a string of cases around the world that strike at the core of the internet giant’s business model, with it violating EU antitrust laws by using its dominance in online advertising to undercut rivals.
The case was brought by the European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation European Union, and marks the fourth time in recent years Google has been accused of violating European antitrust laws. In this instance, the EU accused Google of abusing its Control the market for buying and selling online advertising.
The EU announcement follows similar allegations made against Google in January by the US Justice Department, which The company was accused of illegally abusing the monopoly On the technology that powers online advertising. Britain’s Antitrust Authority has also been Examining Google’s Advertising Practices,
The outcome of the cases could have significant implications for Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which reaped most of its profits. 60 billion dollar profit Advertisement from last year. Nearly all of Google’s most popular services, including search, email, maps, and Android, are supported by advertising and allow the company to provide them for free.
“Google is present at almost all levels of the so-called edtech supply chain,” Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president of the European Commission, which oversees digital and competition policy, said in a statement. “Our initial concern is that Google may have exploited its market position in favor of its own arbitration services.”
“This has not only harmed Google’s competitors but also the interests of publishers, as well as increased costs for advertisers,” he added.
The new allegations against Google are part of a long standing effort European authorities to crack down on the world’s biggest technology companies. Apple and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, are also the subjects of antitrust investigations. Last year, the European Union passed new disbelief and the Digital Services Act to tighten oversight of the biggest tech companies. And on Wednesday, the European Parliament, a legislative branch of the European Union, passed a draft law regulation of artificial intelligence,
In recent years, European authorities have fined Google billions of dollars for what they say are antitrust violations related to its Android mobile operating system, shopping service and another part of its advertising business. All cases remain tied up in court even after a legal appeal by Google.
Along with the new allegations, the European Commission revealed what is known as a “statement of objections” against Google, outlining why it believes the company has violated antitrust laws. It’s one step in what could be a long process before a final decision is made on whether Google should be fined up to 10 percent of its global revenue or ordered to make other changes to its business practices. There could also be a compromise.
European regulators began investigating Google two years ago, focusing on the display advertising market, which includes banners and other visual formats on websites. Google provides many services to advertisers and publishers in this area. It collects data to target advertising, sells advertising space on websites and offers products that act as intermediaries between advertisers and the publishers that own the websites.
Ms Vestager has said that controlling the online advertising supply chain makes it difficult for Google rivals to compete. Publishers such as News Corp have long complained that Google’s dominance limits how much money they can make from advertising on their websites, or that rival services emerge.
