Google has offered to allow rival ad intermediaries place advertisements on YouTube as a way of potentially ending a European antitrust investigation, according to a Monday (June 13) Reuters report.
Per the report, sources close to the probe say Google is hoping this remedy can bring the matter to a close and help it avoid a fine.
The European Commission began its investigation in 2021 into whether the world’s largest provider of search and video had given itself an unfair advantage in digital advertising by blocking rivals’ and advertisers’ access to user data.
Read more: UK Launches Second Probe of Google Ad Practices
The commission focused on a rule by Google that requires advertisers to use its Ad Manager to display ads on YouTube — which is owned by Google — and possible restrictions on the way in which rivals serve ads on YouTube.
In addition, the investigation is also examining Google’s rule that advertisers use its Display & Video 360 services and Google Ads to purchase ads on YouTube. The video platform reported $6.9 billion in sales in the first quarter of 2022.
Google has argued that publishers and advertisers routinely use multiple technologies and platforms to sell ads.
Reuters said the company has been discussing remedies with the Commission in order to stave off fines that could amount to 10% of its worldwide turnover. But sources told the news outlet that Google will however need to offer more than just the YouTube plan to get a deal, although negotiations appeared to be on the right track.
See also: UK, EU Launch Parallel Antitrust Probes Into Google-Meta Ad Deal
As PYMNTS has reported, Google’s ad practices are also under investigation in the U.K., where that country’s Competition and Market Authority (CMA) is examining whether the company abused its role as the largest service provider in Britain’s $2.3 billion online ad industry.
The CMA said last month its investigation will look at demand-side platforms (DSPs), which let advertisers and media agencies purchase publishers’ advertising inventory, and ad exchanges, which provide technology to automate inventory sales.
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