In an effort to end monopoly concerns in the EU, Google has reportedly offered to sell its AdX advertising market. Sources said that European publishers rejected Google’s offer, arguing that the company would have to divest more to eliminate conflicts of interest in its online advertising operations. Lawyers familiar with the antitrust cases said it was the first time Google has offered to sell assets in response to this type of lawsuit.
Despite this alleged sale offer, Google has stood firm publicly about its adtech business. “As we’ve said before, the European Commission’s case regarding our third-party advertising products is based on a misrepresentation of the advertising industry, which is highly competitive and evolving. We are committed to this business,” a Google representative told the publication. We’ve reached out to Google and will update this story if we receive any further comments from the company.
Google’s control of online ads has raised concerns around the world. Regulators have questioned whether the company’s work at multiple stages of the adtech supply chain allows it to favor its businesses, creating unfair profits that could harm competition and drive up advertising costs.
The European Commission initiated this dispute with the advertising arm of the company. The UK’s competition watchdog has also raised the alarm about the possibility that Google’s ads may have been the only one in the past. Google is also being sued by the Department of Justice on the same topic in the US.
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