Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
- The European Commission has filed a formal complaint against Google for abusing its dominant position in the publisher ad business.
- Google will be able to defend itself before the Commission pronounces a verdict.
- The Commission suggests that Google should be made to mandatorily exit part of its ad business to address anti-competition concerns.
Most of us associate Google with visible products like Search, Chrome, Android, Pixels, and hundreds of messaging apps. But what powers Google as a corporate entity is its ad business. Revenue from Google’s advertising business is around $225 billion, which is about 80% of the company’s annual revenue. The European Union thinks these numbers come from an abuse of its dominant position in the market.
The European Commission has filed a formal Statement of Objections against Google around its ad business. This is the first step of a formal antitrust complaint for suspected violations of EU antitrust rules and is not to be confused with a formal ruling proving Google guilty of these practices.