Google was on Friday hit with a 2.95-billion-euro ($3.45 billion) antitrust fine from European Union regulators for anti-competitive practices in its lucrative advertising technology business.
The European Commission, which is the executive body of the EU, accused Google of distorting competition in the so-called adtech market by unfairly favoring its own display advertising technology services to the detriment of rival adtech providers, advertisers and online publishers.
It also ordered Google to "bring these self-preferencing practices to an end" and "implement measures to cease its inherent conflicts of interest along the adtech supply chain." The company has 60 days to respond.
"Today's decision shows that Google abused its dominant position in adtech harming publishers, adv