Google is facing increased scrutiny over its ad tech practices in the UK, as the competition watchdog has provisionally found that the company is abusing its dominant market position by favoring its own ad tech services. Since 2015, Google has allegedly used its position to strengthen its AdX advertising exchange, charging the highest fees to advertisers. The Competition and Markets Authority contends that Google’s practices disadvantage competitors and hinder fair competition. Google has the opportunity to respond to the objections before a final decision is made, which could result in a fine of up to 10 percent of its global annual revenue. Google disagrees with the decision and aims to provide value to its partners, despite regulators in other regions also targeting the company’s ad tech practices. In a separate trial, the Department of Justice is calling for Google’s ad tech business to be broken up, citing alleged illegal monopolistic practices. A federal judge recently ruled that Google abused its monopoly in the search industry. The article contains affiliate links, offering a potential commission for purchases made through them.
