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Google Submits Plan to Address EU Adtech Antitrust Violations

By  |  November 16, 2025

Google has formally handed the European Commission its proposal for fixing the competition issues identified in its advertising technology operations earlier this year, according to Euractiv. EU officials will now assess whether the company’s suggested changes are enough to resolve long-standing concerns about self-preferencing and structural conflicts of interest across Google’s sprawling adtech ecosystem.

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    Commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta said in a statement sent to Euractiv on Thursday, “We will now analyse Google’s proposed measures to assess whether they effectively bring the self-preferencing practices to an end and address the situation of inherent conflicts of interest.” The submission comes after the Commission imposed a €2.95 billion fine in September for violations of EU antitrust rules in digital advertising markets, where Google’s tools — including Google Ads, Google Ad Manager, and AdX — hold dominant positions on both the buy and sell sides.

    Per Euractiv, Google had been given 60 days to outline how it would cease the unlawful preferential treatment of its own services and introduce safeguards to eliminate conflicts of interest throughout the adtech supply chain. The Commission has previously warned that if Google’s internal remedies fall short, it could still order a structural separation of parts of the company to ensure fair competition. Podesta reiterated this stance, saying, “This remains our position at this point.”

    Related: European Commission Probes Google Over Potential Search Ranking Abuses

    While the Commission has not released details of Google’s proposal, Podesta noted that regulators will move forward with an “appropriate remedy” if the company’s plan fails to adequately address the violations. There is no legally mandated deadline for the assessment, but officials appear keen to avoid prolonged uncertainty. As Podesta told Euractiv, “We are aware that a swift change in the market is necessary and we are therefore committed to carrying out the assessment as a matter of priority.”

    The review unfolds amid persistent political pressure from the United States over EU enforcement actions targeting major American tech firms. Shortly after the EU announced its decision against Google, US President Donald Trump publicly criticised the ruling on his social media platform and hinted at retaliatory tariffs, escalating tensions surrounding the bloc’s digital regulatory agenda.

    Source: Euractiv