Google agreed to pay 220 million euros ($268 million) and change the way its business works across the world after settling a France probe that struck at the heart of its power over online advertising. With separate cases into Google, Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc., French antitrust regulators are starting to rein in anti-competitive behavior in online advertising. While Google’s case ended with a fine, Facebook last week tried to avoid that by making commitments to placate regulators. The Google case stems from a complaint lodged in 2019 by News Corp., French newspaper Le Figaro and media firm Groupe Rossel la Voix SA. Google has already attracted French antitrust scrutiny over online advertising in the past, with a 150 million-euro fine in 2019.

Source: Mint June 07, 2021 10:18 UTC