A PYMNTS Company

Ribera: Google Shows ‘More Serious’ Effort in Bid to End Ad Tech Probe

By  |  November 18, 2025

EU competition authorities are weighing a new proposal from Google aimed at resolving long-running concerns over the company’s dominance in the online advertising market, according to Bloomberg. European Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said regulators are currently reviewing what she described as a “serious” offer from the tech giant, which is seeking to address allegations that previously resulted in a fine of nearly €3 billion.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Ribera told reporters in Brussels that the company’s recent submission marks a shift in tone compared with earlier exchanges. “The good thing I could say is that they were a little bit more serious when trying to provide changes and proposals,” she said. Despite this, she noted that Google’s latest plan still falls short of the partial divestment option EU regulators had once viewed more favorably. Per Bloomberg, Ribera also emphasized that separating part of Google’s advertising technology business “has never been” the sole remedy under consideration. She added that officials are closely monitoring Google’s ongoing battle with the US Department of Justice, which has pushed for more drastic structural measures.

    Read more: German Court Hits Google With €572 Million Damages Over Market Abuse

    The renewed proposal follows Google’s announcement last week outlining steps intended to give publishers greater control within Google’s Ad Manager platform. The company said it would allow publishers to set different minimum prices for bidders and improve interoperability across its ad tech tools—measures it hopes will ease Brussels’ antitrust concerns over its influence in the digital advertising ecosystem.

    These changes surfaced after EU watchdogs imposed a €2.95 billion penalty against Google and ordered it to stop giving preferential treatment to its own advertising technology services.

    Source: Bloomberg