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Google Antitrust Fine Delayed as EU Weighs Risk of US Retaliation

By  |  September 2, 2025

The European Union has delayed its planned move to sanction Alphabet Inc.’s Google over alleged abuses in the advertising technology sector, according to Bloomberg. The decision, originally scheduled for September 1, was paused amid concerns that it could spark retaliation from US President Donald Trump and potentially undermine ongoing trade negotiations between Washington and Brussels.

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    Officials at the European Commission had prepared to fine the tech company and impose measures to alter its ad business model, per Bloomberg. However, some senior figures outside the competition team expressed unease about the timing, fearing that a strong action against Google could prompt Trump to retaliate with additional tariffs, undoing recent progress on a transatlantic trade deal.

    Bloomberg reported that the draft ruling was expected to include both a financial penalty and a cease-and-desist order requiring Google to end the practices regulators deemed harmful. The fine, however, was anticipated to be smaller than previous multibillion-euro penalties levied on the company. The last-minute intervention may push the decision back by several weeks and could also reshape the final outcome as discussions with US officials continue.

    A spokesperson for the European Commission said the inquiry remains ongoing and declined to provide further details. Google also declined to comment on the matter. The delay was first reported by Mlex.

    Related: Alphabet’s Google Faces EU Antitrust Fine Over Adtech Practices

    The case centers on allegations raised in 2023, when EU regulators accused Google of using its dominance in ad technology to disadvantage rival platforms and strengthen its control over the digital advertising ecosystem. At the time, competition officials argued that Google favored its own ad exchange services, creating a structural imbalance in the marketplace.

    Margrethe Vestager, Ribera’s predecessor as competition chief, had previously warned that only a forced divestiture of parts of Google’s ad business could resolve the concerns. During her decade-long tenure, she imposed more than €8 billion in fines on Google across multiple cases.

    The EU’s pending decision comes as the US is pursuing its own antitrust action. American regulators have been pressing for Google to divest its Ad Manager business, with a federal court recently affirming the Department of Justice’s findings. A trial to determine remedies is scheduled for September 22, Bloomberg noted.

    Source: Bloomberg