EU takes on Google's ad business with antitrust probe

The European Commission is starting an investigation into Google to determine if the search giant violated antitrust rules by favoring its own advertising business in online ad auctions it manages.Google has been dealing with antitrust lawsuits about its advertising technology and dominance in the industry in the United States, but it appears that the same thing may happen in Europe too. The European Commission said on Tuesday it will be examining Google for signs of 'possible anticompetitive conduct' with its ad business.The investigation will look into 'whether Google is distorting competition by restricting access by third parties to user data for advertising purposes on websites and apps, while reserving such data for its own use.' The investigation has no set deadline, according to CNBC, but if evidence of wrongdoing is determined, it could lead to a hefty fine against the company. Read more...