Google was fin a hefty 220 million euro ( or roughly $ 268 million ) on Monday after France ’s competition authority found the company abusing itsoutsized rolein the world of digital ad .
Ina statementposted on Monday , Autorité President of the United States Isabelle de Silva said that France ’s conclusion was the first in the world “ to bet into complex algorithmic process through which on-line presentation advertising body of work . ”
“ [ Google ’s ] practices have penalized rivalry in the emerge online ad grocery store , and have enabled Google not only to continue but also to increase its dominant post , ” de Silva added . “ This sanction and these commitments will make it potential to re - lay down a level playing discipline for all instrumentalist , and the power of publishing firm to make the most of their advertising space . ”
Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)
One of the major allegations the authority was charged with investigate was that Google ’s ad server — which is used by most major sites to auction off their ad blank space — make Google ’s online auction house an advantage against other auction operators .
for give themselves the most fringe for their sawbuck , most web publishers — like the French paper Le Figaro , who was one of the names behind the initial 2019 charge — will trust on asingle serverat any given fourth dimension . The main job of this host is to prove to plug that publisher ’s ad place intomultiple auctions , so the maximum numeral of advertisers can put bidding down on those spaces .
According to the Autorité ’s investigating , Google used “ various methods ” to ensure that its own ad auction would usually advance on the company ’s advertising server . Because of theway money flowsthrough the digital advertizing ecosystem , set up the auction process did n’t only secure that more money run Google ’s room , but it also stymied funds from contend auctions that might have pay those publishing house a greater amount . In other words , this mean more money for Google , and means less money for site that use Google to promote .
Google did n’t controvert the charges . “ While we conceive we propose worthful service and contend on the merits , we are committed to working proactively with regulators everywhere to make improvements to our products , ” allege Google France ’s legal film director , Maria Gomri , in ablog poston Monday .
“ That ’s why , as part of an overall resolution of the FCA ’s investigating , we have harmonise on a curing of commitments to make it easier for publisher to make manipulation of data and use our tools with other ad engineering , ” she added , noting that the company will be “ testing and recrudesce ” these changes over the coming months before rolling them out on a broader foundation .
One of the biggest update that Google ’s promising is to not use data from other , contend auction sign in parliamentary procedure to optimize its own bids “ in a direction that other SSPs ca n’t reproduce . ” The company is also promise to now give its publisher partners “ at least three months ’ notice ” to any major platform changes the Google ’s preparation on making — unless those change “ are related to security measure or privacy protections . ”
Some of the other product changes design by Google are ace “ that improve interoperability , ” between its own auctions and third - company servers . The party also promised “ to create a root that ensures that all buyer that a publisher works with , ” will get adequate amounts of information , so they can get the best bang for their buck — and publishers , in turn , can get a fair amount for selling off their ad space .
PerReuters , Google will be introducing these updates in the first quarter of next yr . Google ’s web log notes that “ some ” of these changes are going to be usher in globally — Gizmodo has reached out for illumination on which changes these are .
Like just about everycorporate blogfrom the fellowship , the blog is heavy on praseodymium - speak and light on specific . Google does n’t excuse , for example , why some of these foil boosts ca n’t be roll out in multiple market . It also did n’t explain how Google would be share data with all buyers to flush the playing area when Google ’s own web log admit that apportion this data point is n’t “ technically potential ” most of the metre , only because of the way most publishing company ’ adtech pipesoperate . And of course of instruction , there ’s no mention in the blog about how these change will interlock with Google ’s plan to kill off third company cookie , which are also facing their ownantitrust probesin the EU .
This is n’t the first time that Google ’s ad - brokering business — which raked in$183 billionfor the company last year — has been a source of antitrust - adjacent headaches for the fellowship . A coalition of lawmakers spearheaded by Texas ’s Ken Paxtonsuedthe society back in December over allegations that the ship’s company monopolise the digital advertising grocery store . That ’s on top of the other antimonopoly investigations facing the troupe right now , bothfrom the DOJand fromdozens of other state . Until 2022 , we just need to sit and wait to see if these change actually supercharge up contender in the digital advert space , or whether Google will keep onbeing Google .
Alphabet Inc. CompaniesE - commerceGoogleKen Paxton
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