On February 11, the European Publishers Council filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission against Google with regards to its anticompetitive practices in the ad tech sector. In their complaint, EPC is requesting the Commission to impose remedies that would restore effective competition in the ad tech value chain in order to protect publishers, advertisers, and consumers. Following aggressive acquisitions in the 2000s, Google has achieved a dominant position in the ad tech value chain, often representing both the buyer and seller in the same transaction in addition to operating the auction house and selling its own ad inventory. The complaint argues, among other claims, that Google is using its dominant position to self-preference its own services at the expense of others in the digital ad marketplace. The complaint follows similar investigations in France, the UK, Australia, and the United States. The Commission has another ongoing investigation into Google’s ad tech services and the new complaint is expected to be integrated with the investigation. Read more about the complaint here.
Members of the News/Media Alliance staff have contributed to this post.
