UK Regulators Accuse Google of Digital Ad Market Manipulation

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has accused Google of exploiting its digital advertising dominance to stifle competition in Britain. The findings, part of a two-year investigation, may lead to significant fines or orders to alter Google's behavior. Google disputes the allegations, claiming flawed interpretations of the ad tech sector.

UK regulators have slammed tech giant Google for allegedly leveraging its dominance in the digital advertising sector to hinder competition within Britain. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stated on Friday that Google's practices harm online publishers and advertisers in the country's $2.4 billion digital ad market.

The CMA's accusations follow a two-year investigation. The findings suggest that Google skews its services to favor its ad tech exchange, AdX, potentially resulting in fines amounting to billions or orders to cease specific practices. Google, however, contests the claims.

This isn't the first regulatory scrutiny Google has faced; its ad business is also under investigation by the European Union and subject to a US Justice Department lawsuit. The CMA is considering actions to ensure Google stops its anti-competitive conduct, which it claims has persisted since 2015.

(With inputs from agencies.)