UK competition watchdog accuses Google of abusing its market dominance in ad tech

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The British competition watchdog announced Friday that Google has abused its dominant position in the digital ad market by restricting competition through its publisher ad server and buying tools.

An investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally found that Google is using anti-competitive practices in open-display ad technology, which the authority believes may have harmed thousands of UK publishers and advertisers.

According to the watchdog, Google is leveraging its control over ad exchanges to favor its own services at the expense of competitors.

"The provisional findings relate to how Google ‘self-preferences’ its own ad exchange – harming competition and, as a result, advertisers and publishers," the CMA said in a statement.

The findings add to the ongoing global scrutiny of Google’s ad tech practices, with similar investigations underway by US and EU authorities.

The CMA expressed concern that the majority of publishers and advertisers rely on Google’s services to bid for and sell digital advertising space, leaving limited room for competitors to offer better and more competitive services.

The US Department of Justice and the European Commission have also launched separate investigations into Google’s advertising activities, with both probes still ongoing.