Google hit with €1.5 billion antitrust fine by EU

Google has been hit with a €1.5 billion antitrust fine from the European Union related to its AdSense business. In a press conference this morning, EU antitrust commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the tech giant had abused its dominant position in the market, forcing customers to refuse adverts from Google’s rivals. “Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites,” said Vestager in a press statement. “This is illegal under EU antitrust rules.” The fine is the third major penalty the EU has levied against the tech giant in recent years, and closes its last ongoing probe of the company. Google was fined... Continue reading…