Brussels – August 29, 2025: Google of the Alphabet company will be fined by the European Commission in the near future with a small antitrust penalty. The fine is over purported anti-competitive conduct in Google adtech business and a significant change in approach of the EU enforcement under newly appointed antitrust chief Teresa Ribera.
Four-Year Investigation Culminates
Investigation into the matter started about four years ago after a complaint by European Publishers Council. They were officially faced in 2023 with charges brought against Google of prioritizing its ad services such as AdX and DoubleClick over Publishers above competitors. The conclusions of the Commission now show that Google is now left to dominate without any healthy competition.
A Shift in Enforcement Strategy
In the light of the leadership of Ribera, the Commission seems to emphasize more on behavior changes than punitive action. In contrast to the previous initiatives led by the former antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, the EU is not going to force adtech assets through divestiture. Rather, this fine is meant to prevent anti-competitive conducts not to break down the business framework of Google.
Why This Fine Matters
The next fine is not as large as previous fines such as the EUR4.3 billion Android settlement in 2018 or the EUR2.42 billion Google Shopping penalty in 2017 but it points to a more lenient regulatory era. To maintain the fair market competition, Ribera seeks to obtain the corrective measures within the short term without engaging in lengthy and hostile litigation.
To making the things even more complicated, the U.S. is also exerting antitrust pressure on Google. A trial in federal court will take place in September as the company will find out whether Google has to separate its adtool business. The result of that case can have a profound influence or even pre-empt other comparable EU structural remedies.
Google’s Response
Google challenged the interpretation of the Commission, noting that its products provided large selection of options to advertisers and publishers. It also cited a 2023 blog post to contextualise the adtech ecosystem as a very competitive depiction of the findings of the EU as faulty.
The Larger European Antitrust Landscape
The regulatory history of Google in Europe is long. AdSense (2019), Android (2018), and Shopping (2017) are three important cases in which the company has been fined before. Although the fines were in the billions, this new fine, albeit less significant, is an indicator of new EU strategies at the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that came into force to check self-preferencing and encourage competition.
Opponents Charge that Fines are not Enough.
Certain jurists and technology competitors say huge fines are just a business expense to technology giants. They also support structural solutions such as forced divestitures in order to disaggregate market power. The more permissive attitude of Ribera, according to the critics, may not be enough to encourage any kind of healthy competition.
Global Trends and Investor Considerations
In 2024 Google still dominates in ad revenue that makes close to 75 percent of its total revenue. As the world continues to place growing attention on the company, it will have to maneuver through regulatory environments in different parts of the world without compromising on investor confidence.
The Future of Google and the EU.
Weeks to come: The EU will officially verify the fine and describe any correction measures necessary.
September (U.S. court): The case on critical trial on U.S. antitrust remedies may delay the EU structural measures where a ruling is congruent.
Long-term impacts: The correction-over-punishment stance taken by Ribera could shape future regulation of technology in a balanced way, where the industry can grow and competitive dynamics are equal.
