back to article Google faces fines of up to $25.4b in UK and EU ad tech case

Google owner Alphabet could face claims of up to €25 billion ($25.4 billion) in a case alleging anticompetitive conduct in relation to ad tech in Europe. Law firm Geradin Partners yesterday announced it would launch action on behalf of publishers who have allegedly suffered harm from Google's approach to ad tech, although it …

  1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    "could face claims of up to €25 billion"

    Let's be realistic, nobody is going to fine Google to the tune of €25 billion.

    Nobody has the balls to try it.

    1. Alumoi Silver badge

      Re: "could face claims of up to €25 billion"

      Oh, they will fine Google. But they just won't collect. As always.

      1. chivo243 Silver badge
        Trollface

        Re: "could face claims of up to €25 billion"

        ^^came to say this^^. +1. The check is lost in the mail!

      2. Missing Semicolon Silver badge

        Re: "could face claims of up to €25 billion"

        Google will promise to open some new thing in the EU (like Intel's chip factory) and the judgement will be overturned.

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: "could face claims of up to €25 billion"

      The headline says "fines" but the article says "damages". As it's a civil suit being launched on behalf of publishers the latter makes more sense. Personally I have no objection to ad-merchants slogging it out between themselves indefinitely. My lack of sympathy is equally distributed.

    3. heyrick Silver badge

      Re: "could face claims of up to €25 billion"

      I'll grab the popcorn and wait. After all, whatever is decided they'll appeal, so might as well aim for the motherlode. If nothing else, it'll give hacks on both sides of the ocean plenty to write about.

    4. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Re: "could face claims of up to €25 billion"

      It might work in the EU but in the UK, whoever is currently Digital Diva, will agree to be schmoozed by Google and the case will go away, as if by magic.

  2. Peter-Waterman1

    Corporate BS canned statements make me chuckle. On the one instance, they say, we do no wrong and we will fight this vigorously! And then when proven guilty in France they put a positive spin on how great they are at listening and making changes…

  3. MiguelC Silver badge

    Fines galore!

    This is the same day that the EU's General Court has upheld a 4.125 bn € fine against Google "for using the Android platform to cement its search engine's dominance"

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fines galore!

      Since Android 10, they've tied security and permissions to Google Play.

      So, I bought an Android car head unit, installed a tyre pressure monitoring unit. It comes with software that doesn't need special permission, you only have to tell Android to open the App when the hardware is plugged into USB (and check "always') and the app is given USB permission to read the dongle and talk to the sensors.

      Except on Android 10, Google play, regardless of settings, will strip away that permission and the TPMS will stop working. You are forced to install a TPMS from Google Play. A TPMS from Google Play will be granted the permission automatically and will not get stripped of that permissions.

      They've tied permissions and security to Google Play forcing people to Google Play.

      1. DS999 Silver badge

        Re: Fines galore!

        So what do apps from alternate app stores do? Their apps can't have any permissions?

        1. iron

          Re: Fines galore!

          He's talking shite.

      2. iron

        Re: Fines galore!

        As an Android developer... no they haven't.

        There has been a feature in Samsung devices for years now and Google may have incorporated it in the OS that removes permissions from apps you haven't used for 3 - 6 months. If you have an app you use irregularly simply open Settings | Apps | your app and turn off the remove permissions when not used toggle.

        This also happens for apps installed via the Galaxy Store, Amazon App Store or even manually sideloaded apps so nothing to do with Play.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Thailand Promptpay

    Erm Thailand. You know how you have this rule that requires businesses accept PromptPay? And Google complied and accepted PromptPay? Well for lots of apps they refuse to accept Promptpay, thus forcing people sooner or later to add a credit or debit card, and abandoning PromptPay.

    Now might be a good time to enforce your rules.

  5. Mike 137 Silver badge

    Uncertainties

    Headline: "Google faces fines of up to $25.4b"

    Para 1: "Google owner Alphabet could face claims of up to €25 billion ($25.4 billion)"

    Para 2: "Law firm Geradin Partners yesterday announced it would launch action"

    So I guess there might be a case, it might go against Gooooooogle, and they might be penalised to the tune of $25B. Hardly what the headline suggests though.

  6. SundogUK Silver badge

    Without the detail of the case this is all meaningless. That the case is on behalf of 'publishers' implies it's about loss of ad revenue, but this isn't really down to Google. Most newspaper ad-revenue came from classified ads which Google doesn't really do.

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