An EU decision on Google’s compliance with digital competition law is coming

The European Union’s top antitrust watchdog has signaled that a long-awaited decision on whether Google is in breach of the bloc’s Digital Markets Act is imminent – even if he would not commit to a timeline.

What did you say. “It will come,” Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera told Dow Jones Newswires, adding that the cases are complex and the commission is committed to making decisions based on evidence and a fair process.

It’s the background. The European Commission launched its investigation into Google’s search business in March 2024 under the Digital Markets Act. The commission has given itself a 12-month deadline to wrap up – it has already fined Meta and Apple, but Google’s case remains unresolved for nearly two years.

The pressure is on.

• 18 lawyers and civil society organizations wrote to Ribera this month demanding clear remedies and a fine large enough to make non-compliance unprofitable
• The groups warned the commission’s credibility is on the line, noting that Google controls more than 90% of the EU search market.
• “Every day without a decision is a day when European businesses are systematically disadvantaged,” the letter said.

Why do we care. A ruling against Google under the Digital Markets Act could force significant changes to the way Google runs its search business in Europe – potentially reshaping the way ads are served, measured, and priced in one of the world’s biggest markets. If remedies include structural changes to search or ad technology, it may affect campaign performance, targeting capabilities, and competitiveness across the board.

Advertisers with a European audience should keep a close eye on this, as the result may be inconsistent with how Google’s advertising ecosystem works around the world.

Meanwhile, this week. Ribera is in California meeting with Sundar Picchu, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Andy Jassy of Amazon – before heading to Washington DC to interview the acting head of the antitrust division at the Department of Justice.

Big picture. Google isn’t the only one out there. The commission has a further investigation into how Google enables AI overviews and rankings for news publishers, and is separately investigating Meta about the limitations of rival chatbots using WhatsApp’s business software.

An important point. The EU has been slow to act on Google, but political and public pressure is clearly building. If the decision comes, it could set an important precedent for how the Digital Markets Act is applied everywhere.