Google's Adtech Business To Undergo Stringent EU Antitrust Probe
The E.U. antitrust regulators are set to open an investigation into Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) subsidiary Google's digital advertising practices, Reuters reported.
The E.U. competition watchdog has fined the company more than $9.8 billion for blocking rivals in online shopping in the last decade.
Last week, France settled with Google for $268 million and various commitments over allegations related to the network business.
European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has said that Google faces an "extensive investigation" into its advertising business, adding a new front to a decade-long antitrust battle, Bloomberg reported.
The E.U. has been examining Google's data practices since 2019 and has widened the scope to look at Google's plans to phase out third-party cookies, the report says.
According to the market researcher eMarketer, Google will control 27% of global online ad spending in 2021, including 57% for search ads and 10% for display.
