EU expected to levy modest penalty on Google over adtech issues

The European Union (EU) is reportedly expected to impose an antitrust fine on Google in the next few weeks for alleged anti-competitive actions within its adtech sector.

However, the fine is likely to be modest, reported Reuters, citing three undisclosed sources having information of the matter.

This anticipated penalty indicates a change in strategy under new EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera. Unlike her predecessor, Margrethe Vestager, known for hefty fines, Ribera aims to focus on stopping anti-competitive practices rather than penalising companies financially.

The EU competition authority has not yet commented on the specifics of the case.

Its decision follows a comprehensive four-year investigation initiated after a complaint from the European Publishers Council. In 2023, the European Commission (EC) alleged that Google prioritised its own advertising services over those of other competitors.

Google pointed to a 2023 blog post criticising what it considers the Commission's flawed understanding of the adtech industry, arguing that both publishers and advertisers have considerable choices.

The expected fine is unlikely to reach the levels of previous penalties, such as the €4.3bn ($5bn) fine in 2018 related to Google's Android operating system or the €2.42bn fine in 2017 concerning its price comparison service.

In another instance in 2019, Google was fined €1.49bn for using its position to prevent websites from employing brokers other than its AdSense platform.

Google's advertising revenue for 2024 totalled $264.6bn, representing 75.6% of its overall income. However, the Alphabet subsidiary does not provide specific revenue details for its adtech business, which focuses on advertising across third-party sites rather than Search ads.

Despite previous suggestions by Vestager that Google might need to divest certain components of its adtech operations, Ribera will not require such actions, the Reuters report claimed.

A US court has scheduled a September trial to examine possible corrective measures for Google's influence over online publishing ad tools. This development could potentially negate the need for an EU-mandated breakup.

In June 2025, Juliane Kokott, Advocate-General at the Court of Justice of the European Union, recommended dismissing Google's appeal against a reduced fine concerning its Android operating system case. This opinion backs earlier EU antitrust rulings and adds another layer to Google's prolonged legal challenges with substantial penalties imposed by the EC.

"EU expected to levy modest penalty on Google over adtech issues" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.

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