After €2.95B fine, Google pitches remedy plan to calm EU regulators

What you need to know

• Google is offering a new set of concessions to the EU in hopes of settling a massive antitrust dispute without breaking up its ad-tech business.
• The remedies aim to give publishers more control, like setting different minimum bids for different buyers and improving how its tools work with rival services.
• Google argues a breakup would "harm thousands" of European publishers and advertisers who rely on its tools.

Google has dropped a package of concessions aimed at resolving a major antitrust fight with the EU, hoping to settle the dispute without breaking up its business.

This follows the European Commission’s decision in September to fine Google €2.95 billion ($3.4 billion) for what regulators describe as anti-competitive behavior in online advertising. Regulators say Google used its position as both a vendor and a platform to promote its own tools and limit opportunities for competitors and publishers.

Google does not dispute the fine itself, but disagrees with the Commission’s assessment. The company says it is submitting a plan to comply while keeping its business intact.

Rather than selling parts of its ad-tech business, Google says its plan will let publishers set different minimum bids for different bidders in its Ad Manager platform and improve how Google’s ad tools work with competing services. This means publishers and advertisers would have more flexibility to use options outside of Google.

Google's argument is about disruption

The company states it wants to meet the EC’s demands without a disruptive breakup that would “harm the thousands of European publishers and advertisers who use Google tools to grow their business.”

However, the EC has flagged that the kind of conflict Google is accused of often requires structural change to truly level the playing field. That means while Google’s proposals are on the table, the regulator is still assessing whether they’ll actually bring an end to the alleged self-preferencing and vertical conflicts in the tech giant’s ad-tech supply chain.

Google's ad-tech business also faced the same legal dilemma in the U.S. after U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled earlier this year that Alphabet, the parent company of Google, violated antitrust laws for advertisements.

This is a huge deal for advertisers and publishers in Europe. Google’s ad-tech system is key to how they reach audiences and earn revenue. If Google reduces its control as promised, the way bidding works, prices, and how tools connect could all change significantly.

On the other hand, if structural changes are accepted, it could set an example for how ad tech is regulated worldwide. The EC has made it clear that this issue is not just about fines, but also about market structure, fairness, and future competition.