Google slapped with €220 million / $268 million USD fine by France for anti-competitive advertising behavior

[Delicieuxz]

Google is getting whacked by France over advertising practices that are said to be penalizing competitors and to have "enabled Google not only to preserve but also to increase its dominant position”, according to Isabelle de Silva, president of the French Competition Authority.

 

 

Google slapped with 220mn-euro fine following French probe into anti-competitive behavior

Quote

“The decision to fine Google is particularly significant as it is the first throughout the world to tackle complex algorithmic auction processes used for online display-advertising,” Isabelle de Silva, who heads France’s Autorite de la concurrence, said in a statement on Monday. 

 

The French Competition Authority deemed that Google had unfairly directed business towards its own advertising server and its online-ad auction house, clearly benefitting itself at the cost of its rivals.

 

Google has agreed to pay the fine, set at 220 million euros ($268 million). The tech giant has also vowed to improve the interoperability of its Google Ad Manager services for third parties and remedy the situation.

 

Google fined $268 million by France for unfair advertisement practices

Quote

The fine, along with Google’s commitment to changing its practices, “will make it possible to re-establish a level playing field for all players, and the ability for publishers to make the most of their advertising space,” de Silva said.

...

The German competition watchdog said Friday that it was examining whether contracts for news publishers using Google’s News Showcase, a licensing platform launched last fall, include “unreasonable conditions.”

 

Statement by the French Competition Authority: €220 millions fine to Google for favouring its own services in the online advertising sector

Maria Gomri, Legal Director of Google France: Some changes to our ad technology

 

 

It's good that EU countries aren't afraid to resort to financial violence against data-burglar Google, and it's good that data-burglar Google is going to address some of its anti-competitive practices. I'm not sure how sincere Google is in its reformation, though, as Google was also fined over $9 billion in November 2020, $1.7 billion in March 2019, and $5 billion in July 2018, all by the EU and for anti-competitive practices. And so I have to wonder how long it is until another fine against Google comes from the EU over additional anti-competitive practices.

[Master Disaster]

1 minute ago, Delicieuxz said:

Google slapped with 220mn-euro fine following French probe into anti-competitive behavior

 

Google fined $268 million by France for unfair advertisement practices

 

Maria Gomri, Legal Director of Google France: Some changes to our ad technology

 

 

It's good that EU countries aren't afraid to resort to financial violence against data-burglar Google, and it's good that data-burglar Google is going to address some of its anti-competitive practices. I'm not sure how sincere Google is in its reformation, though, as Google was also fined over $9 billion in November 2020, $1.7 billion in March 2019, and $5 billion in July 2018, all by the EU and for anti-competitive practices. And so I have to wonder how long it is until another fine against Google comes from the EU over additional anti-competitive practices.

Fun fact: The EU is struggling with money, a few countries have lots of it but most only have a little and some have nothing (cough Greece cough).

 

What better way to keep the bailiffs away then using privacy as a weapon to tax big business? As you said, the EU has taken over $10b euros from Google in 3 years.

[Mihle]

1 hour ago, Master Disaster said:

Fun fact: The EU is struggling with money, a few countries have lots of it but most only have a little and some have nothing (cough Greece cough).

 

What better way to keep the bailiffs away then using privacy as a weapon to tax big business? As you said, the EU has taken over $10b euros from Google in 3 years.

There is s lot better ways to get money from companies than just giving them fines if that is the goal, but it's not.

 

Also, this is France, not EU like other cases.

[Master Disaster]

Just now, Mihle said:

There is s lot better ways to get money from companies than just giving them fines if that is the goal, but it's not.

I didn't say it was the ultimate goal but it is a convenient side affect.

[lostcattears]

.... the USA should be slapping these fines and then profiting from them... Why are we letting EU do it... and take all the money then they change it then the USA cant do anything anymore since they already changed it for years...

[Delicieuxz]

23 minutes ago, lostcattears said:

.... the USA should be slapping these fines and then profiting from them... Why are we letting EU do it... and take all the money then they change it then the USA cant do anything anymore since they already changed it for years...

Because the US is owned by Big Business which can exert a lot of influence to see that they aren't sued or that courts and politicians see things in their favour. So, there's less initiative to take-on Big Business in the US, and there's also less chance of a lawsuit against Big Business in the US being successful. But no one is stopping people and agencies in the US from suing Big Business.

[HempBoosh]

On 6/7/2021 at 2:26 PM, Master Disaster said:

Fun fact: The EU is struggling with money, a few countries have lots of it but most only have a little and some have nothing (cough Greece cough).

 

What better way to keep the bailiffs away then using privacy as a weapon to tax big business? As you said, the EU has taken over $10b euros from Google in 3 years.

Fun fact number 2: $268 million USD is only 1.49% of Alphabet's net profit in the first quarter of 2021. Imagine paying a fine which is 1.49% of your quarterly salary, not that bad.

[Guest willies leg]

Where does the money go? To the people who are victimized or the government?

Sounds like just a tax to me.

[RejZoR]

On 6/7/2021 at 9:26 PM, Master Disaster said:

Fun fact: The EU is struggling with money, a few countries have lots of it but most only have a little and some have nothing (cough Greece cough).

 

What better way to keep the bailiffs away then using privacy as a weapon to tax big business? As you said, the EU has taken over $10b euros from Google in 3 years.

It's Google. Not even surprised they are yet again violating something and getting fined for it, but they actually don't care because it's a minor incovenience on the grander scheme where they'll earn 4x that much in 1 year.

[Vishera]

On 6/7/2021 at 10:32 PM, lostcattears said:

.... the USA should be slapping these fines and then profiting from them... Why are we letting EU do it... and take all the money then they change it then the USA cant do anything anymore since they already changed it for years...

The biggest reason that it is not happening in the US is CORRUPTION,

Big corporations have "robust conversations" with law makers on regular basis.

It's common that in time that  there is a bill or a lawsuit they will fade away after they engage in a "robust conversation"

[cj09beira]

at this point google takes the fines into account before they do stuff, this is nothing to them a drop in the bucket 

[RejZoR]

1 hour ago, Vishera said:

The biggest reason that it is not happening in the US is CORRUPTION,

Big corporations have "robust conversations" with law makers on regular basis.

It's common that in time that  there is a bill or a lawsuit they will fade away after they engage in a "robust conversation"

America literally has lobbying. Basically you're legally allowed to grease up bottoms of legislators to push whatever business agenda you want. It's not corruption if it's legal. Which is just bizarre way of doing politics. In any other country/government this would be considered corruption or conflict of interests. Not in US of A. There it's even encouraged to do so.

[Vishera]

8 minutes ago, RejZoR said:

America literally has lobbying. Basically you're legally allowed to grease up bottoms of legislators to push whatever business agenda you want. It's not corruption if it's legal. Which is just bizarre way of doing politics. In any other country/government this would be considered corruption or conflict of interests. Not in US of A. There it's even encouraged to do so.

If it doesn't serve the interests of the nation and/or the public - It's corruption,not legally but ethically.

[WolframaticAlpha]

On 6/11/2021 at 8:11 PM, RejZoR said:

America literally has lobbying. Basically you're legally allowed to grease up bottoms of legislators to push whatever business agenda you want. It's not corruption if it's legal. Which is just bizarre way of doing politics. In any other country/government this would be considered corruption or conflict of interests. Not in US of A. There it's even encouraged to do so.

In our country lobbying is known as corruption &/or kickbacks.

[12345678]

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