The European Commission’s preliminary review of Google found the company violated EU antitrust rules.
The review claims Google distorted competition in the advertising technology industry by allegedly favoring its display advertising technology services in a way that is detrimental to competing ad-tech services, advertisers and online publishers.
“Our preliminary concern is that Google may have used its market position to favour its own intermediation services,” Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president of the European Commission, said in a statement.
Background:
- The EU’s allegation comes after the U.S. Department of Justice and a handful of states sued Google over its dominance in the digital ad space.
- The
U.K.’s competition regulator is also investigating anti-competitive conduct by Google in the digital advertising market.
Google pushed back on the claims in a blog post written by the company’s vice president of global ads, Dan Taylor.
“Today’s Statement of Objections from the European Commission sets out claims that are not new and relate to a narrow part of our advertising business. It fails to recognize how advanced advertising technology helps merchants reach customers and grow their businesses — while lowering costs and expanding choices for consumers,” Taylor wrote.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
