Key facts
- A U.S. judge rejected the DOJ's request to break up Google's ad tech business.
- The European Commission previously fined Google and proposed a divestiture as a remedy.
- The U.S. ruling complicates the EU's independent efforts to address Google's market dominance.
- Google has proposed changes to its ad tech tools rather than a business sale.
- The EU is still assessing Google's compliance plan.
A U.S. court ruling has complicated the European Commission's efforts to address Google's dominance in the digital advertising market. A year after the Commission fined Google €2.95 billion for monopolizing the sector, a U.S. judge rejected the Department of Justice's request for a forced breakup of the company's ad tech business.
This decision leaves the EU alone in pursuing a structural remedy, a move that has been met with concern by civil society groups and complainants who fear it may have limited impact. They argue that as long as Google maintains the incentive and means, it can continue to achieve anti-competitive goals. The EU executive is currently assessing Google's compliance plan, which proposes changes to its tools rather than a divestiture, and has granted the company an extension for this review.
Advocates for stronger action point out that Google's ad tech tools operate as a single global system, making a Europe-only breakup potentially ineffective. They are pushing for the strongest measures the Commission can realistically deliver, emphasizing the need for non-discrimination in the market. Meanwhile, Google is appealing the Commission's decision at the EU's General Court.