Google officials on Friday proposed an alternative plan to breaking up its European-based online search business after the European Commission deemed it a monopoly and levied a $3.5 billion fine in September. File Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/EPA
Nov. 14 (UPI) — The European Union wants Google to dismantle its European-based advertising-technology business, which it has deemed a monopoly, but the tech firm said Friday it has another plan.
Google officials announced they submitted a compliance plan following the European Commission’s ad-tech decision, which Google will appeal.
“Our proposal fully addresses the EC’s decision without a disruptive breakup that would harm thousands of European publishers and advertisers who use Google tools to grow their business,” Google said in a blog post.
Google’s proposal “includes immediate product changes to end the specific practices the Commission challenges,” it said.
“For example, we are giving publishers the option to set different minimum prices for different bidders when using Google Ad Manager,” Google officials said.
They also propose addressing accusations of conflicts of interest by giving publishers and advertisers more choices and greater flexibility by “increasing the interoperability of our tools.”
Google officials said they intend to cooperate with the EC while it considers the proposal and “are committed to finding an effective solution that provides certainty and consistency for our customers across Europe, the United States and globally.”
The EC in September fined Google $3.5 billion in a search engine antitrust case and wants Google to break up its European business.
Google’s proposal seeks to avoid a breakup, but it does not provide any mechanisms for measuring the impact of proposed changes, according to Politico.
The EC has received Google’s proposal, which drew criticism from online publishers in Europe.
“Behavioral adjustments have been tested repeatedly over many years and have failed to rebalance this market,” Angela Mills Wade, European Publishers Council executive director, told Politico.
She said Google’s proposal, ultimately, won’t eliminate its ad-tech monopoly, which accounts for most of parent company Alphabet’s annual revenues, which topped $350 billion in 2024.
“Without structural change, Google will continue to own and control the tools and data flows that determine the terms of trade for the entire digital advertising ecosystem,” Wade added.