The French Competition Authority fines a Big Tech company €220 million for abuse of a dominant position through self-preferencing in the ad tech industry (Google AdX / Google DoubleClick for Publishers)

On 7 June 2021, the French Competition Authority (“FCA”) concluded an investigation into Google’s ad tech business. The FCA (i) found that Google abused a pan-European dominant position and thereby infringed EU competition law by favoring its proprietary display advertising intermediation services, (ii) fined Google €220 million and (iii) rendered commitments mandatory that Google had offered and intends to implement globally (the “Decision”). [1] Since Google waived its right to appeal, the Decision is legally binding and final. The Decision is only one effort among many to restore competition in ad tech. [2] Embedding the Decision in the global debate on competition in online advertising, this article summarizes the technical and economic background, outlines the abuses of dominance