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Google (GOOGL) ad practices under fire in second UK antitrust probe

A new probe in the United Kingdom is taking aim at Google's ad dominance. It's the second antitrust probe from the UK against Google in short order.

TJ Denzer

May 26, 2022 10:45 AM

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Google has long held one of the most dominant hands in online ads and information on the internet and that sheer power is being questioned by antitrust authorities in the United Kingdom this week. The UK has launched an antitrust probe against Google, putting the magnifying glass on its ad practices and dominance. It’s the second such probe to be launched by UK authorities in a short period of time.

The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced its latest probe into Google’s ad practices on May 26, 2022, as reported by CNBC. Previously, the CMA had also launched a probe announcing it would be investigating Google and Facebook parent company Meta over concerns of an alleged 2018 pact between the two companies regarding “restricted competition in digital advertising.” This latest probe takes aim at Google’s actual role in ad technology and the markets affected by it. The CMA alleges in this probe that Google may be illegally favoring its own ad exchange services and restricting visibility of rivals.

This second probe from UK CMA into Google is one of several antitrust actions by global authorities concerned with the company’s overall power over internet information and the markets that accessibility of that information affects. The US government is also scrutinizing Google by way of the Competition and Transparency in Digital Advertising Act – a newly introduced bill that may break up Google’s ad business if passed. With major antitrust scrutiny coming from major governments on both sides of the Atlantic, Google may find its control over internet information and advertisement threatened by continual legislative action.

Google also faced woes in Russia recently as its bank account in the country was seized and the Russian subsidiary of Google was forced to shut down. As the Competition and Transparency in Digital Advertising Act moves through US Congress and the aforementioned UK probes dig deeper into Google’s dominance, stay tuned for further updates on this topic here at Shacknews.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.