Europe May Move to Break Up Google’s AdTech Monopoly

Open Markets Institute Europe released the following statement on the European Commission’s announcement that it may move to require Google to divest parts of its online advertising business:

“Open Markets commends the European Commission for its intention to break up Google’s online advertising monopoly. The evidence is overwhelming that Google has used its dominance across the adtech supply chain to favor its own platforms, at the expense of publishers, advertisers, adtech rivals and consumers. The only way to address this egregious conflict of interest is to force Google to divest part of its business, as the U.S. Department of Justice and now the European Commission have acknowledged.

“After years of trying to unsuccessfully rein in Big Tech – especially Google – through ineffective fines and behavioural remedies, we welcome the Commission’s newfound willingness to use structural measures to tackle the platforms’ dominance. Today’s announcement is also a clear illustration of the power competition authorities have when they work in parallel, with the U.S. DOJ and the UK’s CMA also investigating Google’s adtech monopoly.”

“This isn’t just about economics – Google’s monopoly over online advertising poses a fundamental threat to the health of our free media and ultimately, the resilience and integrity of our democracies. The bullying tactics deployed by Google and Facebook in Australia, Canada, California and other jurisdictions when asked to pay for valuable news content are clear evidence of this threat. Regulators around the world must move quickly to rein in these unaccountable giants and rebuild a truly open digital economy.

Open Markets Executive Director Barry Lynn has called the DOJ suit against Google over its monopolization of digital advertising, “one of the most important antitrust cases in American history.”