Friday Oct 10, 2025
Friday Oct 10, 2025
Tuesday, 7 October 2025 00:55 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Google has been fined € 2.95 billion (£ 2.5 billion) by the EU for allegedly abusing its power in the ad tech sector - the technology which determines which adverts should be placed online and where.
The European Commission said the tech giant had breached competition laws by favouring its own products for displaying online ads, to the detriment of rivals.
It comes amid increased scrutiny by regulators worldwide over the tech giant’s empire in online search and advertising.
Google told the BBC the Commission’s decision was “wrong” and it would 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, global head of regulatory affairs at Google.
“There’s nothing anti-competitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever before.”
US President Donald Trump also attacked the decision, saying in a post on social media it was “very unfair” and threatening to launch an investigation over European tech practices that could lead to tariffs.
“As I have said before, my Administration will NOT allow these discriminatory actions to stand,” he wrote.
“The European Union must stop this practice against American Companies, IMMEDIATELY!”
Trump has repeatedly criticised the bloc’s fines and enforcement actions against US tech firms in recent months, though the US government has brought its own lawsuits over Google’s monopoly of the online ad market.
The Commission’s fine is one of the largest fines it has handed down to tech companies accused of breaching its competition rules to date.
In 2018 it fined Google
€ 4.34 billion (£ 3.9 billion) - accusing the company of using its Android operating system to cement itself as the dominant player in that market.
