Google has submitted a compliance plan to the European Commission seeking to avoid a forced breakup of its Europe‑based ad‑tech operations and plans to appeal the EC’s monopoly finding. The proposal includes product changes—such as letting publishers set different minimum prices per bidder in Google Ad Manager—and promises greater interoperability to reduce conflicts of interest. European publishers and watchdogs criticized the plan as lacking measurement tools and warned that only structural remedies would meaningfully reduce Google’s ad‑tech dominance, which supports Alphabet’s substantial revenues.
Google Proposes Product Fixes to Avoid EU Breakup of Ad-Tech Unit — Publishers Say It's Not Enough
Google has submitted a compliance plan to the European Commission seeking to avoid a forced breakup of its Europe‑based ad‑tech operations and plans to appeal the EC’s monopoly finding. The proposal includes product changes—such as letting publishers set different minimum prices per bidder in Google Ad Manager—and promises greater interoperability to reduce conflicts of interest. European publishers and watchdogs criticized the plan as lacking measurement tools and warned that only structural remedies would meaningfully reduce Google’s ad‑tech dominance, which supports Alphabet’s substantial revenues.
06:05 AM, 11/15/2025Economy
Google offers alternative to EU-ordered breakup of its ad‑tech business
The European Commission (EC) has told Google to dismantle its Europe‑based advertising‑technology operations after ruling the business a monopoly. Google responded by submitting a compliance plan it says addresses the Commission’s concerns and by announcing it will appeal the ruling.
In a company blog post, Google said the proposal "fully addresses the EC's decision without a disruptive breakup that would harm thousands of European publishers and advertisers who use Google tools to grow their business." The company said its plan includes "immediate product changes to end the specific practices the Commission challenges."
Among the concrete changes Google cited is an update to Google Ad Manager that would allow publishers to set different minimum (floor) prices for different bidders—giving publishers finer control over auction pricing. Google also proposed steps to reduce alleged conflicts of interest by expanding choices for publishers and advertisers and increasing the interoperability of its advertising tools.
Google's stance and cooperation
Company officials said they will cooperate with the Commission while it evaluates the submission and that they are committed to finding a solution that provides certainty and consistency for customers across Europe, the United States and globally.
Context and criticism
In a separate case in September, the EC fined Google $3.5 billion in a search‑engine antitrust matter and has sought structural remedies for segments of Google’s European business in its broader antitrust actions. Media reports, including Politico, noted that Google’s ad‑tech proposal lacks specific mechanisms to measure the effects of the proposed changes or to guarantee the market will be rebalanced.
“Behavioral adjustments have been tested repeatedly over many years and have failed to rebalance this market,” said Angela Mills Wade, executive director of the European Publishers Council. “Without structural change, Google will continue to own and control the tools and data flows that determine the terms of trade for the entire digital advertising ecosystem.”
Publishers and industry watchdogs have criticized the plan as insufficient, arguing that only structural remedies would meaningfully curb Google’s dominance in ad tech—a dominance that helps underpin most of parent company Alphabet’s revenue, which exceeded $350 billion in 2024. The EC has received Google’s proposal and will assess it as part of the ongoing legal and regulatory process.