Open Markets Condemns Google's Paltry AdTech Remedies in the EU Case
“The Commission must reject this paltry offer and force Google to break up its adtech monopoly once and for all.”
Brussels — Google has submitted to the European Union its proposed remedy package for addressing conflicts of interests in its adtech stack. Google’s proposal is hugely disappointing and illustrates again Big Tech firms’ resistance to regulatory enforcement.
Max von Thun, Open Markets Director of Europe & Transatlantic Partnerships issued the following statement:
“As anyone could have predicted, Google’s offer falls far short of what is needed to break its suffocating grip on digital advertising. As the European Commission stated back in 2023, the only credible solution is a forced divestment of part of Google’s advertising business — anything else is just window dressing. European publishers, businesses and citizens deserve better. The Commission must reject this paltry offer and force Google to break up its adtech monopoly once and for all.”
Google proposes only behavioral measures such as steps to increase interoperability and an option for publishers to set minimum bidding prices. It explicitly rejects structural measures using the presumed harm to “thousands of European publishers and advertisers” as an excuse to run against the European Commission’s calls in 2023 and in September this year. Back then, the Commission said that “only the divestment by Google of part of its services would address the situation of inherent conflicts of interest”. To preserve the media sector and our democracies, the European Union must hold the line and force Google to divest part of its adtech business.
The Open Markets Institute and the Center for Journalism and Liberty at Open Markets have studied and reported extensively on Google’s monopoly over adtech and has repeatedly recommended decisive remedies like break-up to bring fair competition to this market.