EU fines Google 110 billion baht for digital ad monopoly

According to Reuters, Alphabet’s Google was fined US$3.45 billion (around 110 billion baht) on Friday (September 5) for unfair business practices in its ad technology operations.

Trump took to Truth Social to call the decision “unfair” and “discriminatory,” later telling reporters he would raise the matter directly with the EU.

"We cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American Ingenuity and, if it does, I will be forced to start a Section 301 proceeding to nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these Taxpaying American Companies," he said.

Google announced plans to appeal. The European Commission, however, warned that stronger measures could follow, including forcing the company to divest some of its businesses if it fails to resolve conflicts of interest.

Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president and global head of regulatory affairs, said: "The European Commission's decision about our ad tech services is wrong and we will appeal. It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money."

"There's nothing anticompetitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever before."

The European Publishers Council expressed disappointment that Google was only fined and not ordered to break up its business.

"A fine will not fix Google's abuse of its adtech," said executive director Angela Mills Wade.

"Without strong and decisive enforcement, Google will simply write this off as a cost of business while consolidating its dominance in the AI era, perpetuating unfair competition and weakening news media and publishing companies which rely on advertising revenues."