EU competition watchdogs take aim at Google online advertising
In its long-running antitrust case against Google, the European Commission is now targeting the company’s core online advertising business for the first time. With this move, Brussels is further ramping up the pressure on the internet giant.
The accusation is one of unfair competition. Among other things, Google restricts the ability of companies to display search engine advertising from Google competitors on their websites, the EU Commission stated on Thursday. "This restricts consumer choice and prevents innovation," criticized EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. It is the third area in which the Commission has accused Google of unfair competition in a so-called "Statement of Objections" and demanded changes. The first two proceedings to reach this escalation stage concern shopping services and the globally dominant Android operating system. The Brussels antitrust watchdogs have also been investigating the advertising business for years. Google has always rejected the accusations of anti-competitive behavior. Around 90 percent of Google's turnover of 74.5 billion dollars last year came from the online advertising business. Ads in the Internet search environment continue to bring in the most money. (SDA)
