Google’s regulatory issues are growing across the pond.
The UK competition watchdog said on Friday it had launched an investigation into the search giant’s proposals to remove third-party cookies and other features from its Chrome web browser, following concerns that the move could hurt the rivals of digital ads.
The Competition and Markets Authority will study whether Google’s changes would result in more advertising spending in its own ecosystem at the expense of its competitors.
Google also faces a trio of antitrust lawsuits in the United States and has been accused of maintaining monopolies through “multiple forms of anti-competitive conduct in the general search and search advertising markets.”
Google’s technology, called the “Privacy Sandbox” project, would allow users to target ads without tracking each person across the web. The watchdog has received complaints from a coalition of tech companies and publishers accusing Google of having “abused its dominant position” in the industry.
“As the CMA found in its recent market study, Google Sandbox’s privacy proposals could have a very significant impact on publishers such as newspapers and the digital advertising market,” said Andrea Coscelli, head of the ‘AMC.
Cookies allow advertisers to target consumers with personalized ads and allow newspapers and other sites to provide their content for free.
“[Google] it could undermine publishers ’ability to generate revenue and undermine competition in digital advertising, consolidating Google’s market power,” Coscelli added.
Other browsers, including Apple’s Firefox and Safari, have already blocked third-party cookies, and Google says it is making changes to protect consumer privacy.
“Creating a more private website, while allowing publishers and advertisers to support free and open Internet, requires the industry to make significant changes in the way digital advertising works,” a Google spokeswoman said.
“We welcome the participation of the CMA as we work to develop new proposals to support a healthy website that supports ads without third-party cookies.”
The CMA said it will work with the British data watchdog on the investigation.
Google shares were flat during Friday morning trading.
The investigation comes two months after a group of 165 companies and industry bodies called on European Union antitrust authorities to crack down on the search giant, accusing it of using market dominance to favor its own. web search services.