Google has proposed to make crucial changes to its business practices in order to resolve ongoing developments in the European Union antitrust proceedings concerning its advertising technology activities. However, these changes do not include the division of the company.
The compliance plan that Google has presented to the European Commission, the main body liable for enforcing antitrust rules in the 27-state community, includes "immediate product changes" to put an end to circumstantial practices, informed the company in the blog entry.
"Our proposal takes full account of the EC decision and does not introduce drastic changes that could harm thousands of European publishers and advertisers who usage Google's tools to make their business," said the company on Friday.
Google besides reported that it refers to the Commission's decision to impose a fine of EUR 2.95 billion ($3.4 billion) on the company in September for violating EU competition rules by favouring its own digital advertising services. Google accused Google of abusing its dominant position by favouring its own online display advertising technology services to the detriment of competitors, net advertisers and publishers.
It was besides part of the punishment to require Google to submit proposals to put an end to what the Commission referred to as "practice of self-privatisation" and to destruct "conflicts of interest".
The Commission stated that it would force Google to sales of parts if it is not satisfied with the solutions proposed by the company. Google changes include making more pricing options available to publishers on the advertising management platform. To address conflicts of interest, the company modifies its advertising tools, giving publishers and advertisers more choice and flexibility.
"Now we will examine the measures proposed by Google to measure whether they will effectively put an end to the practices of self-privatisation and remedy the inherent conflicts of interest", the Commission stated in a statement. Google is besides fighting action to destruct it across the Atlantic. The Justice Department sued the company for national court to force the sale of assets after the justice ruled that its advertising network was an illegal monopoly.
