- It's a historic decision.
It is the first thing about the digital advertising market that is complex and impenetrable.
It is also historic because it is the first time that Google requests a settlement which means that it does not dispute the accusations, says the French Competition Authority's director general Isabelle de Silva to SVT.
"Recognizes their working methods"
Google has been accused of wearing too many hats at the same time: as an advertising space, as a buying broker for those who want to place ads, as a sales broker for those who want to buy advertising space, and as a marketplace where these parties meet.
According to the French Competition Authority, the company has used this dominant position to disadvantage itself in the transactions.
Pierre Petillaut, CEO of Alliance Presse, represents many of the French newspaper publishers who have seen most of their advertising revenue flow to the web in recent years, especially Google and Facebook.
He accepts the settlement as good news.
- This is the first time that Google itself acknowledges its working methods and that they have been harmful to competition.
It remains to be seen if they keep what they now promise in terms of changing their actions.
Can be pejudicating
Google tells SVT that they want to be pragmatic, put this issue behind them and move on.
In the US, a similar lawsuit against the company awaits, and the EU recently announced that it will also investigate the tech giant's role in the advertising market.
- This is an important decision because it can be prejudicial in Europe and maybe even in the US.
We hope that it will be useful for competition authorities in other countries, says Isabelle de Silva.