EU fines Google $3.5 billion over adtech antitrust violations

The European Commission has fined Google €2.95 billion, or around $3.5 billion, for violating EU antitrust laws and "distorting competition in the advertising technology industry." The Commission found that Google's ad buying tools (Google Ads and DV 360) interact with its ad exchange software (AdX) and ad publisher servers (DFP) in a way that favors its own AdX ad exchange. Google is accused of informing AdX in advance of the best bid from competitors and avoiding competing ad exchanges by mainly placing bids on AdX. Google has been given 60 days to address these issues, and the Commission has warned that it may face an "appropriate remedy" if it fails to do so, which could include a forced sale of some or all of its adtech business. Google has stated that it will appeal the decision, calling it "wrong" and claiming that it "imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses." This is the latest in a series of antitrust investigations and fines targeting Google's business practices in Europe. While the $3.5 billion fine is significant, it is not the largest the company has faced, as it was previously fined $5.04 billion in 2018 for forcing mobile network operators to pre-install Google apps on phones.