European Commission fines Google €2.95B over abusive ad tech practices

Deterrence: Fines vs. Criminal Liability

• Many argue that repeated antitrust violations show fines are “cost of doing business”; they call for three‑strikes–style rules and personal criminal liability for executives or decision‑makers.
• Others question who exactly should go to jail in a committee-driven corporation, but some respond: “everyone who knowingly approved illegal conduct.”

How Big and How Effective Is €2.95B?

• Debate over whether ~€3B is a meaningful penalty: some note it’s ~15% of Google’s annual EU net profit and therefore not trivial; others call it a slap on the wrist for a company of that size.
• Several note fines can be repeated and increased, and are accompanied by mandated changes to business practices, which is what regulators really want.

Passing Costs On & “Cost of Doing Business”

• One camp insists any fine or cost will be fully passed on to advertisers and consumers; therefore fines function as an indirect tax on everyone else.
• Others counter that higher costs reduce competitiveness and margins, so companies can’t always fully pass them on—especially if competitors are not fined for similar behavior.

Google’s Adtech Conduct

• Commenters summarize the ruling as: Google used dominance in tools for publishers and advertisers plus its AdX exchange to self‑preference, with practices like:
  • Steering Google Ads demand mainly to AdX.
  • Using privileged information about rival bids.
  • Contractual limits on using competing ad tech.
• Many see inherent conflict in letting a dominant market-maker also be a major market participant.

Ads, Marketing, and the Web

• A long subthread debates whether targeted online advertising should be radically constrained or even banned.
• Some want “marketing” or the sale of attention outlawed; others say advertising is structurally necessary for competitive markets and product discovery, but tracking-based, behavior‑modifying ads may not be.

EU vs US, “Leaving the EU,” and Geopolitics

• Multiple commenters dismiss the recurring threat that Google or other giants will “leave the EU” given the huge profits there.
• Some worry a future US administration could retaliate via tariffs or pressure to shield US tech, while others argue the EU must not base its laws on shifting US politics.

EU Institutions, Rule of Law, and Tech Scene

• Disagreement over whether the European Commission wielding both rule‑making and enforcement powers is healthy; some see risks of politicization versus court‑centric systems.
• Broader argument over why Europe has few global tech giants: suggestions include culture (comfort vs. competitiveness), fragmented markets, weaker VC, and the impact of US megacorp dominance.