EU antitrust regulator launches preliminary investigations into how Google and Facebook gather, process, use, and monetize data for advertising purposes
London (CNN Business)Europe's top antitrust regulator is probing how Google and Facebook use data, putting the companies' huge advertising businesses in the spotlight once again.
CNNCharles Riley
Context & Ripple Effects
This probe extends a year of mounting scrutiny: the [[a:943461|UK competition agency opened its own investigation into the two companies' data practices and ad-market dominance]] in July, and the European Commission had already been pressing Google on ad contracts and scraping since its earlier antitrust case — the Commission's requests for details on Google's ad contracts and scraping set the template for treating data-for-ads as a competition question rather than only a privacy one.
What changes now is scope and target: by opening preliminary investigations covering how both Google and Facebook gather, process, use, and monetize data, the EU regulator is examining the input side of the ad business itself, not just individual contract terms. The arc continues after this story too — the Commission later escalated to a formal antitrust investigation into whether Google favors its own display ad tech over rivals.
First-order effects
Google and Facebook must respond to preliminary information requests across their entire data-to-ads pipeline, putting legal teams on notice that every stage — collection through monetization — is now evidence in an antitrust file.
Second-order effects
Ad buyers and publishers gain leverage: if regulators conclude that combined data scale is the moat, remedies could force the two companies to unbundle or share data advantages, reshaping pricing in the programmatic supply chain.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds from the UK probe through these EU investigations, Europe is converging on a doctrine that dominant platforms' control of user data is itself a competition abuse — making data portability and separation duties a structural fixture of platform regulation.
The trend: European competition authorities are reframing Big Tech's data accumulation as an antitrust problem, with each successive probe narrowing toward structural remedies for ad-market dominance.
Europe's top antitrust regulator is probing how Google and Facebook use data, putting the companies' huge advertising businesses in the spotlight once again. https://edition.cnn.com/...
@markscott82
Mark Scott on x
Hey ho — drumbeats are again building for #antitrust officials to take a closer look at Big Tech's use of data. Here's what's at stake https://www.politico.eu/.... But if you think this will be a slamdunk case, think again https://www.politico.eu/...
@liberationtech
@liberationtech on x
Exclusive: EU antitrust regulators say they are investigating Google's data collection https://www.reuters.com/... via @Reuters
@mrapptech
@mrapptech on x
EU investigates Google data collection practices https://www.engadget.com/...
@rasmus_kleis
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen on x
“EU antitrust regulators are investigating Google's collection of data, the European Commission told Reuters on Saturday, suggesting the world's most popular internet search engine remains in its sights despite record fines in recent years.” https://www.reuters.com/...
@adivawoman
@adivawoman on x
Competition enforcers on both sides of the Atlantic are now looking into how dominant tech companies use and monetise data. https://www.reuters.com/...
@mdudas
Mike Dudas on x
At this rate, tech giants are going to employ more lawyers than engineers https://www.reuters.com/...
@wsjemre
Emre Peker on x
New #EU Commission, New @Google Investigation? Brussels sets sights on tech giant's data collection as competition chief @vestager broadens powers: https://www.reuters.com/...
@honestduane
@honestduane on x
Probably because Google's main ad business violates #GDPR by design as part of the round robin ad bidding process that happens millions of times a day every time an advert is shown by google. This is going to be fun to watch. https://twitter.com/...
@orskov
@orskov on x
EU antitrust regulators have initiated an investigating into Google's collection of data, focusing on data related to local search services, online advertising, online ad targeting services, login services, web browsers https://www.reuters.com/...
@sub8u
Subrahmanyam Kvj on x
How long before organizations start programs to actively limit the amount of data they collect - Collection driven by need, not by ability? “EU antitrust regulators say they are investigating Google's data collection” https://www.reuters.com/...
@nandokasteleijn
Nando Kasteleijn on x
De Europese antitrust-autoriteit is bezig met een inleidend onderzoek naar hoe en waarom Google data verzamelt https://www.reuters.com/...
@quinta
Stefano Quintarelli on x
Exclusive: EU antitrust regulators say they are investigating Google's data collection https://www.reuters.com/...
@hoofnagle
Chris Hoofnagle on x
FT: UK competition regulator seeks comment on Google's acquisition of Looker and whether it might cause a “substantial lessening of competition”. https://www.ft.com/...
@fabiochiusi
Fabio Chiusi on x
“The Commission has sent out questionnaires as part of a preliminary investigation into Google's practices relating to Google's collection and use of data. The preliminary investigation is ongoing,” the EU regulator told Reuters in an email. https://twitter.com/...
@hntweets
@hntweets on x
EU investigates Google data collection practices: https://www.engadget.com/... Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/ ...
@andrewknight226
Andrew Knight on x
One of the reasons I support the EU is because it has the power to keep international corporations in check. From tax evasion to dodgy data mining etc. https://www.reuters.com/...
@engadget
@engadget on x
EU investigates Google data collection practices https://www.engadget.com/... https://twitter.com/...