Google adtech business to face formal EU probe -sources

Antitrust regulators in the European Union could open a formal probe into Google's lucrative digital advertising business before the end of the year, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The probe would focus on Google's position in relation to advertisers, publishers, go-betweens and rivals, one source said, and could end up targeting Google's entire ad empire.

Last year Google took in $147 billion in online ad revenues - that's more than any other company in the world - with sales spread across search, YouTube and gmail.

It also runs a lucrative online ad network.

Advertisers complain that so much of Google's software is key to the online ad business that it is impossible to avoid using it, and that Google takes advantage of that by extracting high fees from ad buyers, ad sellers and everyone in between.

There are also complaints that Google uses its size to block competition.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The EU Commission declined to comment.

A probe would mark a new chapter in the saga between the EU's competition enforcer and Google.

So far, the EU has slapped Google with nearly $10 billion in fines over the past decade for blocking rivals in online shopping, Android smartphones and online advertising.

The EU is not alone in examining Google's business practices. Last week, France and Google reached at $268 million settlement over similar anti-competitive allegations.

In the U.S., the Justice Department and state attorneys general filed separate lawsuits last year accusing Google of violating anti-trust rules.

A House panel will vote next week on six anti-trust bills aimed at limiting the power of America's tech giants, including Google's parent Alphabet.