Google doubled down in its response on Friday to the European Commission’s landmark September decision that found its adtech business breached antitrust rules, by rejecting a breakup of the business — a move that could cause the EU to force a divestiture if left unsatisfied with Google’s remedies. The company did propose product changes in an attempt to address the bloc’s concerns, but argued a “disruptive” breakup “would harm the thousands of European publishers and advertisers who use Google tools to grow their business.”
US darling Google has faced several antitrust and competition lawsuits in Europe, as the bloc attempts to both act as tech referee and gain position in a highly competitive global AI race. In Google’s latest European battle, a German court ordered it Friday to pay two price comparison platforms roughly €572 million ($665 million) in total for abusing that market, Reuters reported. A Google spokesperson suggested the problem has been solved and that the company rejects the rulings, telling Reuters: “changes we made in 2017 have proven successful without intervention from the European Commission.”
Brussels is also readying a new investigation into the company for allegedly demoting certain news outlets in its search pages, according to the Financial Times. The reported probe could throw a wrench into efforts to ease transatlantic trade tensions, as the EU prepares the next phase of its trade truce with Washington, Bloomberg reported.