EU Commission Probes Google Over Search Ad Pricing Practices

Google faces another European Union antitrust investigation over its advertising pricing practices. The European Commission sent letters to businesses on February 9 expressing concerns about potential price manipulation in Google’s search ad auctions.

This new investigation adds to Google’s existing regulatory challenges in Europe. The company has already paid billions of euros in antitrust fines for previous violations of EU competition rules.

If the Commission finds evidence of wrongdoing, Google could face penalties up to 10% of its global annual revenue. The regulator has requested feedback from affected businesses by March 2.

The investigation comes amid ongoing tensions between U.S. tech companies and European regulators. Google’s parent company Alphabet faces multiple EU antitrust probes across different business segments.

A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the specific case, noting there is no formal investigation yet.

However, the official stated the Commission “monitors possible anti-competitive market practices and abusive conduct in all sectors and stands ready to investigate cases where concrete evidence thereof is found.”

Bloomberg first reported the potential investigation, which follows similar scrutiny of Google’s advertising practices in the United States. The U.S. Justice Department has separately accutilized Google of manipulating online auctions to favor its own financial interests.

Google dominates the multi-billion-dollar online advertising market globally. The company argues its advertising platform assists tiny businesses compete with larger brands while keeping web services free for utilizers.

The European Commission’s letter represents preliminary fact-finding rather than formal charges. However, it signals continued regulatory pressure on Google’s core advertising business in Europe’s 27-nation market.

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