Google to face EU fine in adtech investigation: sources

Google is expected to receive a modest fine from the European Union in the coming weeks over alleged anti-competitive practices in its adtech business, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The European Commission’s decision follows a four-year investigation that began after a complaint from the European Publishers Council and led to formal charges in 2023 alleging Google favored its own ad services over competitors.

This fine marks a shift in approach by new EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, who is focusing more on stopping anti-competitive behavior than imposing large penalties.

The penalty is not expected to match previous EU fines against Google, such as the €4.3 billion imposed in 2018 for Android-related violations, or earlier fines for price comparison and AdSense practices.

Ribera is not expected to require Google to sell parts of its adtech business, a measure suggested by her predecessor.

A US court is also set to address possible remedies for Google’s adtech dominance in a trial scheduled for September.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ EU antitrust enforcement shifts from punishment to compliance under new leadership

The modest fine signals a fundamental change in how the EU approaches Big Tech violations under new competition chief Teresa Ribera.

This marks a departure from her predecessor Margrethe Vestager’s strategy of imposing record-breaking penalties, including the €4.3 billion Android fine in 2018 and €2.42 billion shopping comparison fine in 20171 2.

Ribera’s approach prioritizes getting companies to end anti-competitive practices rather than delivering hefty deterrent penalties, representing a shift from punitive to corrective enforcement3.

The new strategy also means Ribera won’t order Google to divest parts of its adtech business, despite Vestager previously suggesting the company could sell its DoubleClick for Publishers tool and AdX ad exchange4.

This change reflects Ribera’s mandate to balance competition enforcement with broader EU objectives including sustainability and industrial competitiveness, as outlined in her mission letter5.

2️⃣ Google’s EU fines represent minimal business impact despite their historic scale

The upcoming modest adtech fine continues a pattern where even record-breaking EU penalties have little material impact on Google’s core business performance.