Google Fined $3.5 Billion by E.U.; Trump Calls It ‘Very Unfair’

BRUSSELS — European Union regulators on Friday fined Google 2.95 billion euros ($3.5 billion) for violating the bloc’s competition rules by favoring its own digital advertising services — a major escalation in the EU’s ongoing crackdown on Big Tech.

The European Commission, the EU’s top antitrust enforcer, said Google had “abused its dominant position” by giving preferential treatment to its own ad tech platforms, harming rivals, advertisers, and publishers. The Commission also ordered the U.S. tech giant to end “self-preferencing practices” and fix conflicts of interest in its advertising supply chain.

It marks the fourth multibillion-euro antitrust fine against Google since 2017, and comes amid rising tensions between Brussels and Washington over digital regulation and trade.

The ruling sparked swift backlash from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the fine was a direct attack on American innovation and workers.

“Very unfair, and the American Taxpayer will not stand for it!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “As I have said before, my Administration will NOT allow these discriminatory actions to stand.”

Trump also accused the EU of “taking money that would otherwise go to American investments and jobs.”

The Commission’s investigation focused on Google’s AdX exchange and DFP ad server, which act as intermediaries between advertisers and online publishers. Regulators found that since at least 2014, Google has used its control over both sides of the ad market to divert business to its own services and limit competition.

The Commission said Google now has 60 days to propose remedies to resolve the violations. If it fails to do so, further action could follow.

“At this stage, it appears that the only way for Google to end its conflict of interest effectively is with a structural remedy, such as selling part of its Adtech business,” said Teresa Ribera, the Commission’s executive vice-president for competition policy.

Still, she added that the Commission would first review any proposals Google submits before considering more drastic steps.

Google, which has long denied wrongdoing in EU antitrust cases, said Friday’s ruling was “wrong” and vowed to appeal.

“It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, the company’s global head of regulatory affairs.

The Commission said Google’s practices led to higher costs for advertisers, likely passed down to European consumers, and lower revenues for publishers, including news organizations — potentially affecting the quality and cost of content.

The decision comes more than two years after the Commission filed formal antitrust charges, and nearly a decade after it began investigating the company’s advertising dominance.

In 2023, the Commission had already signaled that selling parts of Google’s ad business may be the only effective solution, citing past cases where fines and behavioral remedies had failed to stop repeat offenses.

The fine is part of a broader effort by EU regulators to rein in the power of Big Tech, including Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft. Under the Digital Markets Act, the bloc has also introduced sweeping new rules aimed at limiting the dominance of online gatekeepers.

GAROWE ONLINE