(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Nov 14 (KUNA) -- US-based Google submitted Friday formal proposals to the European Commission (EC) in an effort to address violations that led to it being fined nearly three billion euros over what Brussels deemed an abuse of its dominant position in the advertising technology market.
The proposals did not include selling any part of its advertising operations.
The company stressed that it does not agree with the Commission's decision, stating in a press release Friday, "As we have said before, we disagree with the European Commission's ad-tech decision and will appeal. The decision does not reflect the reality of today's highly competitive and rapidly evolving ad-tech sector".
It added that it had complied with the requirement to submit a compliance plan, noting that its proposal "fully addresses the European Commission's decision without a harmful break-up that could affect thousands of European publishers and advertisers who rely on Google tools to grow their businesses".
The company explained that its plan includes immediate product changes aimed at ending the practices the Commission deemed unlawful, pointing out that it will give publishers the option to set different minimum prices for bidders.
Google also announced additional proposals intended to address any signs of conflict of interest by increasing interoperability between its tools and providing greater choice and flexibility for publishers and advertisers.
According to the company, these developments will enhance users' ability to choose the tools that best suit them, instead of being compelled to rely solely on Google's solutions.
These steps come as part of Google's attempt to preserve its advertising operations without resorting to the sale or divestment of any part of its business particularly after years of accusations by the European Commission that the company exploited its dominance across the digital advertising supply chain in ways that harmed competitors. Brussels had granted the company a 60 day deadline to present practical solutions that would avoid tougher measures.
The American company affirmed it will continue to cooperate with the Commission during the review of the proposals, stating: "We are committed to finding an effective solution that provides certainty and consistency for our customers in Europe, the United States, and globally".
The European Commission announced on Thursday that it had opened a formal investigation to assess Google's compliance with fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory access requirements for news publishers' websites through its search engine, obligations set out under the EU's Digital Markets Act. (end)
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