Google to meet EU deadline for Ad Tech changes after €3 billion fine

New Delhi: Google is set to meet the European Union’s deadline to propose changes to its advertising technology business following a near-€3 billion ($3.5 billion) fine, according to the report. 

The company’s offer, due by early November, is expected to avoid a complete divestment of its Ad Manager platform, which includes the AdX exchange and DoubleClick for Publishers, despite previous calls from the EU and industry rivals for a full breakup. The filing deadline could still be delayed, the report adds.

EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera indicated that ensuring fair competition may require Google to sell unspecified “parts” of its ad tech operations, signalling a less definitive approach than her predecessor Margrethe Vestager, who had previously proposed a full Ad Manager sale. 

Speaking in New York, Ribera said Brussels regulators would need to impose “an appropriate remedy” if Google fails to address competition concerns, suggesting that divestment of some business units could be necessary, without specifying which ones.

Google has consistently opposed any forced divestment and declined to comment, as did the European Commission. This month’s penalty, increased by 60 per cent for repeat violations from earlier draft figures, brings the company’s EU antitrust fines close to €10 billion over the past decade. Google has indicated it will appeal the decision.

According to the report, the company had previously considered selling parts of its ad tech operations to resolve regulatory concerns, but these proposals did not satisfy EU requirements at the time.

The regulatory scrutiny comes amid broader international pressure. In the United States, a judge recently ruled that Google had illegally monopolised ad tech markets. The Department of Justice is scheduled to press for divestment in court next week. 

Ribera is set to meet the DOJ chief, Gail Slater, in Washington, highlighting coordinated attention from regulators on both sides of the Atlantic regarding structural remedies for the company’s advertising operations.