Politico EU - Breaking up with Google: Why the EU should back the US

Open Markets Senior Fellow Cori Crider explains why now is the moment for the EU government to break up Google’s monopoly over digital advertising.

“Google’s unlawful conduct persisted for over a decade.”

A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable to hear this sentence from the U.S. Justice Department. Not so today, as U.S. regulators are seeking to break up the company’s search monopoly once and for all, “not only ending Google’s control of distribution today, but also ensuring Google cannot control the distribution of tomorrow.” Meanwhile, another U.S. case against the tech giant, over so-called adtech, is hard on its heels.

Trust-busting, it seems, is back. And it’s putting the heat back on Europe’s regulators as well.

The EU spotted the risks of tech monopolies first. But while the bloc’s bark has always been loud, its bite is lacking. And as debate now rages in the U.S. about how best to break up the company, another little-discussed investigation is already on the European Commission’s desk: Europe’s own Google adtech case. Yet, rather than pressing forward, there have been signs that the EU may be wavering ahead of its final decision.

The Google adtech case is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Europe, with the possibility of supporting its U.S. ally, restoring fairness to online markets and securing its digital independence in one fell swoop. But for the case to fulfill its promise, the EU must go beyond fines and stern warnings, and actually break the tech giant’s monopoly over digital advertising.

Read the full article here.