Google offered to sell part of its advertising business, but this was not enough to end the antitrust case in the EU

Google has taken a major step in its attempt to end the EU’s antitrust investigation by offering to sell its advertising platform AdX. But European publishers, who initiated an antitrust case against Google, rejected the proposal as insufficient, Reuters reported, citing its own sources.

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Google’s advertising-related business came under investigation by EU competition authorities last year following a complaint from the European Publishers Council. Subsequently, the European Commission accused Google of anti-competitive support of its own advertising services, and a fourth investigation was opened against the world’s most popular search engine. Until now, Google has never proposed selling its assets as part of an antitrust case, Reuters sources say.

Google is also currently involved in legal proceedings in the US, challenging claims by antitrust authorities who are seeking to force the company to sell its Ad Manager platform – which includes AdX and the advertising service for publishers DFP. European publishers have rejected Google’s proposal because they want the company to move beyond AdX to eliminate conflicts of interest due to its presence at nearly every level of ad tech. “As we have said previously, the European Commission’s case regarding our third party advertising products is based on misleading interpretations of the ad technology sector, which is fiercely competitive and rapidly evolving. We remain committed to this business,” a Google spokesperson said.

AdX or Ad Exchange is a marketplace where publishers offer real-time advertising space on their properties. Last year, European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager suggested that Google ditch DFP and AdX to eliminate conflicts of interest. But it is unlikely that the agency will force the company to sell its assets now – due to the complex nature of the case, it may first require it to stop anti-competitive activities, Reuters sources are sure. The divestment order could come later if Google fails to comply with the EU’s first ruling, which is expected to be handed down in the coming months.