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Google Fined $3.45 Billion by EU for Antitrust Breaches in Adtech; Trump Threatens Retaliation

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Google (Alphabet) has been fined €2.95 billion ($3.45 billion) by the European Union for abusing its dominance in the online advertising technology market, marking the fourth major EU penalty against the company in a decade.

The European Commission found that since 2014, Google unfairly favored its own adtech services, particularly its AdX exchange, to the detriment of rivals and online publishers. The watchdog ordered Google to end these self-preferencing practices and address conflicts of interest, warning that stronger remedies, including potential divestitures, remain on the table if compliance efforts fall short. Google has 60 days to propose changes and another 30 days to implement them.

U.S. President Donald Trump blasted the fine as “unfair” and “discriminatory,” threatening to launch a Section 301 trade investigation that could nullify EU penalties and impose retaliatory tariffs. “We cannot let this happen to brilliant American ingenuity,” Trump said, vowing to confront the EU directly.

Google said it would appeal, arguing the decision is “wrong” and would harm European businesses that rely on its services to generate ad revenue. “There’s nothing anticompetitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives than ever,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s VP of regulatory affairs.

The fine comes amid mounting U.S.-EU trade tensions, with Brussels under pressure to balance antitrust enforcement with the risk of Trump’s tariff retaliation on European exports, including cars. While the Commission stopped short of ordering a breakup, critics—including the European Publishers Council—warned that fines alone would not curb Google’s dominance in the €120 billion adtech market.

The ruling adds to Google’s history of penalties in Europe: €4.3 billion in 2018, €2.42 billion in 2017, and €1.49 billion in 2019. Meanwhile, Google faces a U.S. trial in September to determine remedies in a Justice Department case that found it illegally monopolized online advertising.

Google’s advertising business remains the backbone of its revenue, generating $264.6 billion in 2024 (75.6% of total sales) across services including YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Google Play.

Google to Invest $9 Billion in AI and Cloud Infrastructure in Oklahoma

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Alphabet’s Google announced Wednesday that it will spend an additional $9 billion in Oklahoma over the next two years to expand its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The plan includes building a new data center campus in Stillwater and expanding the existing facility in Pryor, alongside education and workforce programs.

The investment comes amid intensifying competition among Big Tech companies, which are spending heavily on new data centers and skills development to meet surging AI demand. Part of the $9 billion is included in Google’s 2025 capital expenditure plan, with the remainder earmarked for future projects.

Last month, Alphabet raised its annual capital spending target to $85 billion from $75 billion and indicated more increases could follow next year. The company and its peers have justified large AI investments as necessary for growth and product improvement, particularly amid competition from Chinese tech firms and investor concerns over slower returns.

In addition, Google committed $1 billion last week to AI education and training for U.S. universities and nonprofit organizations. Over 100 universities have joined the initiative, including major public institutions such as Texas A&M and the University of North Carolina. Competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Amazon have launched similar AI-focused education programs.

U.S. policy also supports onshoring of AI infrastructure, prompting investments by companies such as Micron, Nvidia, and CoreWeave. Apple similarly announced plans last week to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

AI Startup Perplexity Offers $34.5 Billion for Google Chrome

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Perplexity AI, led by Aravind Srinivas, made an unsolicited all-cash bid of $34.5 billion to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, a price far above its own $14 billion valuation. The offer comes as web browsers regain importance in the AI search race, providing access to billions of users and valuable search data.

Perplexity, which already operates an AI-enabled browser called Comet, plans to maintain Chrome’s open-source Chromium code, invest $3 billion over two years, and preserve the default search engine, pledging no equity component in the deal. The startup has raised around $1 billion from investors including Nvidia and SoftBank and stated multiple funds are willing to finance the offer.

Google has not commented and has no plans to sell Chrome, with regulatory pressure and an ongoing antitrust case possibly leading to a prolonged legal battle. Analysts note the sale could take years to resolve, with appeals potentially reaching the Supreme Court. Perplexity’s move follows previous high-profile offers, such as its bid for TikTok US in January, and highlights the growing competition in AI-driven search and browsers.