On Friday, it was reported that the European Publishers Council made complaints about its digital ads business. The target of the discontent was Google's Alphabet unit. That could possibly boost Margrethe Vestager's, the head of the EU antitrust authority, investigation on the issue.
Google's online ads income was $147 billion in 2020. That includes search, YouTube and Gmail, which make up the biggest part of its total sales and profits. Among all companies in the world, this is the highest score.
The display or network business, which uses Google's technology for selling ads on websites and in apps of multiple media companies, brought in about 16% of the company's revenue.
It was announced that the European Commission began an investigation in June on the issue of whether Google prefers its own technology services for online ads to those of its rivals, advertisers, and online publishers.
The Publishers Trade Body, which includes Axel Springer, News UK, Conde Nast, Bonnier News and Editorial Prensa Iberica as members, has sent the complaint to the European Commission. It was their primary point that Google uses ads technology to choke out press publishers.
"It is high time for the European Commission to impose measures on Google that actually change, not just challenge, its behaviour," EPC Chairman Christian Van Thillo said. "Google has achieved end-to-end control of the ad tech value chain, boasting market shares as high as 90-100% in segments of the ad tech chain," he added.
Margrethe Vestager began an investigation into Google's digital advertising business last year. Her story with Google goes back a couple of years, since then she has fined Google more than €8 billion ($9.2 billion) for anti-competitive practices in three cases.
Google reported that it is willing to be constructive in its negotiations with the Commission.
