Turkey Hits Google with $75 Million Antitrust Fine Over Ad Tech Practices

Turkey has just handed Google a significant blow in the form of a 2.6 billion Turkish Lira fine—roughly $75 million—marking yet another chapter in the ongoing global scrutiny of Google’s dominance in the ad tech industry. The decision from Turkey's Competition Authority (TCA) underscores mounting regulatory pressure on the tech giant’s practices in the online advertising space.

So, what sparked this latest fine? It all began with an investigation launched by the TCA in May 2023, focusing on Google’s overwhelming influence in the online advertising and ad tech markets. At the heart of the inquiry were Google’s practices involving its subsidiaries—Google Advertising and Marketing Ltd., Google LLC, Google International LLC, Google Ireland Limited, and Alphabet Inc.

The TCA’s primary concerns revolved around two key issues:

1. YouTube's Walled Garden: Google was accused of restricting access to YouTube’s ad inventory, only allowing advertisers to purchase ad space through its own demand-side platforms (DSPs). This raised significant concerns about whether such a setup stifled competition.
2. Self-Serving in Ad Tech: Google’s favoritism towards its own supply-side platform (SSP), AdX, was also under scrutiny. By steering business from its DSPs to AdX and using its publisher ad server to skew results in its favor, Google was seen as putting competitors at a serious disadvantage.

In an attempt to defuse the situation, Google offered some commitments to the TCA. Faced with mounting pressure, the company promised to open up access to YouTube’s inventory for qualified third-party DSPs. The TCA accepted these commitments in May 2024, effectively closing the chapter on YouTube-specific issues. But the broader allegations in the ad tech sphere? Google’s concessions weren’t enough.

After months of investigation and deliberation, the TCA issued its final ruling:

• Google, it was determined, is dominant in both the DSP and publisher ad server markets.
• The company abused that dominance by favoring AdX in ways that left competitors scrambling to keep up.
• This behavior violated Turkey’s Competition Law No. 4054.

The result? A hefty fine and a clear deadline for Google: it has six months to implement measures that will ensure fair conditions for third-party SSPs. If the company fails to comply, daily fines will continue to pile up.

The decision is part of a larger global trend in which regulators across the globe—whether in the EU, the U.S., or Turkey—are scrutinizing Big Tech’s monopolistic behaviors. Google now has 60 days to appeal the TCA’s decision in the Ankara Administrative Courts. But for now, Turkey's ruling sends a strong message that no matter how dominant a tech giant may be, it isn’t above the law.

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