Google receives a fine of over 500 billion yen from the EU for violating antitrust laws
The European Commission, the EU's policy and executive body, has imposed a fine of 2.95 billion euros (approximately 500 billion yen) on Google for violating antitrust laws and for distorting competition in the advertising technology (ad tech) industry. Google is alleged to have given preferential treatment to its own online display advertising services, to the detriment of competing service providers, advertisers, and online publishers. The Commission ordered Google to end its self-preferential treatment and take measures to resolve inherent conflicts of interest in the ad tech supply chain.
Commission fines Google €2.95 billion over abusive practices in online advertising technology
EU fines Google $3.5B over adtech 'abuse' | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/06/eu-fines-google-3-5b-over-adtech-abuse/
Google is an American multinational technology company whose primary revenue source is advertising. Specifically, it sells advertising on its websites and applications and acts as an intermediary between advertisers who want to display ads online and publishers (third-party websites and apps) who offer advertising space.
Advertisers and publishers use the ad tech industry's digital tools to place real-time ads that are not linked to search queries, such as banner ads (display ads) in newspapers or on websites. In particular, the ad tech industry offers three digital tools: publisher ad servers, which publishers use to manage advertising space on their own websites and apps; programmatic ad buying tools for the open web, which advertisers use to manage automated advertising campaigns; and ad exchanges, where supply and demand meet in real time, usually through an auction, to buy and sell display ads.
Google provides several ad tech services that act as an intermediary between advertisers and publishers when it comes to placing ads on websites and mobile apps. It operates two ad buying tools , Google Ads and Display & Video 360 (DV360) , as well as DoubleClick For Publishers (DFP, now Google Ad Manager ), an ad server for publishers, and AdX , an ad exchange.
In June 2023, the European Commission issued a warning to Google, alleging that the company was distorting competition in the ad tech industry and violating antitrust laws. In response, Google proposed to sell AdX, but the proposal
European Commission warns Google against 'forced sale' of advertising business, in preliminary antitrust investigation - GIGAZINE
On September 5, 2025, local time, the European Commission announced that it would impose a fine of 2.95 billion euros on Google for violating antitrust laws in the ad tech market. The fine is the second-largest ever imposed by the EU for antitrust violations. The Commission stated, 'Our independent investigation has concluded that Google holds a dominant position in the market for publisher ad servers (DFP) and in the market for programmatic ad buying tools for the open web (Google Ads and DV360), both of which cover the entire European Economic Area (EEA).'
In particular, the Court alleges that, from at least the period 2014 to 2025, Google abused its dominant market position in violation of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) by:
Favoring its own ad exchange, AdX, in the ad selection process run by DFP, the primary publisher ad server, including by informing AdX in advance of the maximum bid that it must exceed its competitors to win the auction.
Ad buying tools Google Ads and DV360 favored AdX when bidding on ad exchanges. For example, Google Ads avoided competing exchanges and primarily bid on AdX, making AdX the most attractive exchange.
The Commission concluded that the actions 'were intentionally designed to give AdX a competitive advantage and may have led to the exclusion of other ad exchanges competing with AdX.'
The European Commission has ordered Google to cease such self-favoritism and to implement measures to eliminate inherent conflicts of interest in the ad tech supply chain. Google has 60 days to submit a remedial plan in response to the Commission's order. The Commission will thoroughly evaluate whether the proposed remedial plan will eliminate the conflicts of interest. If it determines that the conflicts of interest are not eliminated, the Commission will take appropriate remedial measures in accordance with Google's right of opinion. The Commission has already expressed its preliminary view that only Google's sale of some of its services would address the inherent conflict of interest situation, but explained that it 'wants to first hear and evaluate Google's remedial plan.'
The 2.95 billion euro fine set by the European Commission was calculated based on the guidelines on fines published by the organization in 2006. In setting the fine, the European Commission took into account various factors, such as the duration and seriousness of the antitrust violations, AdX's turnover in the EEA, etc. In addition, the European Commission also took into account the fact that Google has been fined in the past for abuse of its dominant position.
Google has been sued for antitrust violations in the ad tech market not only in the EU but also around the world, and in the United States, a federal district court ruled in April 2025 that 'Google violated antitrust laws in its online advertising technology.' However, the ruling also found that Google does not have a monopoly over the ad networks that advertisers use to purchase display ads, so Google commented that this is 'half a victory.'
Federal court rules that Google violated antitrust laws in the online advertising technology market, Google considers it a 'half victory' and plans to appeal - GIGAZINE
A Google spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that the company intends to appeal the European Commission's decision , saying, 'There is nothing anti-competitive about providing services to buyers and sellers of advertising, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever before.'
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump posted on his social media account, Truth Social, 'Europe today dealt another great American company, Google, a 'blow' with a $3.5 billion fine. This effectively takes away funds that could have been used for American investment and jobs. This is in addition to the many other fines and taxes imposed on Google and other American tech companies. This is extremely unfair, and American taxpayers will not tolerate it. As I have said before, my administration will not tolerate these discriminatory actions. Apple, for example, was forced to pay a $17 billion fine that, in my opinion, should never have been imposed. They should get their money back! We cannot allow this to happen to brilliant and unprecedented American ingenuity. If this happens, I will be forced to initiate Section 301 proceedings to void the unjust fines being imposed on these tax-paying American companies. Thank you for your attention to this matter.' He expressed his dissatisfaction with the EU's penalties targeting American companies.
President Trump has announced that by the end of August 2025, he will impose additional tariffs and restrict semiconductor exports to any country that imposes restrictions on American technology companies through digital tax (digital services tax), digital services act, or digital market regulations, unless those restrictions are lifted.
President Trump posted on his social media account, 'Show respect to America and its great technology companies, or think of the consequences!', furious at digital taxation and related regulations, and declared that he would impose new tariffs and restrict semiconductor exports on all countries that do not lift the regulations.
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