The European Commission could ask Google to sell part of its advertising technology business, said an informed source, signaling an attempt to mitigate the market dominance of the American giant.
The Commission launched an investigation last year into Google’s presence at nearly all levels of online advertising, expressing concerns about the dominant position of the American giant.
Brussels rarely seeks a business split, but Google has not resolved competition-related complaints, deepening frustration, the source said, adding that an official objection could be published as early as Wednesday.
The Commission and Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the information from the unnamed source.
Google’s digital advertising platform is the largest in the world, with a 28 percent share of revenue, according to research firm Insider Intelligence.
In the first quarter, advertising brought in $54.55 billion for Google’s parent company Alphabet. Total revenue amounted to $69.79 billion.
Google’s dominance in online advertising has come under scrutiny in recent years, and complaints from competitors have resulted in regulatory investigations across multiple continents.
Thus, the U.S. initiated proceedings against Google earlier this year and requested the sale of its advertising tool, claiming it unlawfully abused its dominance in the online advertising space. Google has dismissed the allegations.
