Saad Ullah
⬤ Alphabet's GOOG is dealing with one of its toughest weeks in Europe as Brussels ramps up its antitrust push. Google rejected the European Commission's request to separate parts of its ad-tech operations following a September fine of nearly €3 billion. The company has already accumulated €9.5 billion in previous EU fines across Android, Shopping and Adtech cases.
⬤ The core dispute centers on the Commission's claim that GOOG abused its dominant position by favoring its own advertising exchanges. Vice president Teresa Ribera suggested a structural breakup as the most effective solution. Google pushed back, arguing that forced separation would harm thousands of European publishers and advertisers who depend on its technology. The company proposed internal policy changes instead. Regulators believe only structural measures can ensure fair competition, while Google warns this intervention could destabilize Europe's digital advertising market.
⬤ The pressure keeps building. Brussels launched a new investigation into alleged manipulation of news results in Google Search under the Digital Markets Act, which allows penalties of up to 10 percent of global revenue. A Berlin court ordered Google to pay €573 million in damages to price-comparison websites. The U.S. Department of Justice is also pursuing structural separation of Google's advertising business, with final arguments scheduled for Monday.
⬤ The mounting regulatory pressure reflects a changing competitive landscape in Europe, where structural remedies, expanding enforcement powers and multi-billion-euro fines increasingly shape corporate strategy for digital platforms.
Saad Ullah
