EU regulators order Google to break up digital ad business over competition concerns
By KELVIN CHAN and SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union antitrust regulators are taking aim at Google’s lucrative digital advertising business, ordering the tech giant to sell off some of its ad business to address competition concerns. The European Commission said Wednesday that its preliminary view after an investigation is that “only the mandatory divestment by Google of part of its services” would satisfy the concerns. The European Union has led the global movement to crack down on Big Tech companies but rather than splitting up businesses it has previously issued blockbuster fines. That includes three antitrust penalties for Google worth more than 8 billion euros, now $8.6 billion.