Google has been hit with one of the largest penalties ever imposed by European regulators, as the European Commission announced a €2.95 billion ($3.47 billion) fine against the US tech giant for anti-competitive behavior in digital advertising.
EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said the company’s actions had harmed publishers, advertisers, and consumers alike.
“Google abused its dominant position in ad-tech, harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers. This behavior is illegal under EU antitrust rules,” she stated.
Regulators also ordered the company to dismantle its “self-preferencing practices” and to reform the way it manages its ad technology operations to eliminate conflicts of interest.
The decision comes against a backdrop of trade tensions, with US President Donald Trump warning that Washington could punish the EU for fining American tech companies.
His administration has threatened new tariffs, though the EU has delayed moving forward with sanctions, wary of retaliation.
Google immediately pushed back against the ruling, calling the penalty baseless.
The company said it would appeal, insisting the Commission’s demands would harm rather than help.
Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s global head of regulatory affairs, stated: “It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money.”
This latest case is only one part of a string of setbacks for the company. Earlier in the week, a US jury ordered Google to pay $425 million for collecting data from smartphones despite users choosing privacy settings.
Trump condemned the European penalty in sharp terms, accusing the bloc of discriminating against US firms.
He wrote on Truth Social that Europe was “effectively taking money that would otherwise go to American Investments and Jobs” and added: “Very unfair, and the American Taxpayer will not stand for it! As I have said before, my Administration will NOT allow these discriminatory actions to stand.”
The president also criticized the EU’s earlier penalties against Apple, saying the company “should get their money back.”
In April, regulators found Apple and Meta in violation of the Digital Markets Act, issuing fines of €500 million ($572 million) and €200 million.
Trump warned that additional EU tariffs could follow to “nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these Taxpaying American Companies.”
