
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced Friday it suspects Google of antitrust abuses in the adtech sector.
CMA’s Juliette Enser stated, “We’ve provisionally found that Google is using its market power to hinder competition in online ads.”
The regulator accuses Google of self-preferencing its ad exchange since 2015, including manipulating bid values to favor its AdX platform.
Google’s Dan Taylor responded, “We disagree with the CMA’s view and will respond accordingly.”
If found in violation, Google could face fines up to 10% of its annual worldwide turnover.
This adds to Google’s ongoing antitrust challenges in the EU and US.
The CMA awaits Google’s response before making a final decision.