Brussels,September 6(HS):

The European Commission imposed a hefty €2.95 billion ($3.45 billion) fine on Alphabet’s Google, ruling that the tech giant abused its dominant position in the digital advertising technology sector by favoring its own services over competitors. This anti-competitive practice, ongoing since 2014, harmed rivals and publishers by inflating costs and reducing revenues. The Commission ordered Google to halt these practices within 60 days or face further regulatory action, potentially including divestiture of parts of its ad tech business.

Google has condemned the ruling as unjust and announced plans to appeal, warning that mandated changes could hurt thousands of European businesses reliant on its advertising ecosystem. The fine adds to Google’s mounting penalties from global regulators and escalates tensions between the EU and the US, with President Trump calling the decision “very unfair” and threatening retaliatory trade measures.

This marks the latest chapter in a prolonged conflict with EU antitrust authorities, underscoring ongoing scrutiny of Big Tech’s market power and the Commission’s resolve to foster fair competition in digital markets .

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar