Alphabet would have proposed to the European Commission to allow competing advertising companies on YouTube so that they can sell advertising. The proposed concession would be a response to competition research.
Alphabet would allow rival ad companies to place ads on YouTube in the hope of addressing European competition concerns. An antitrust investigation into Google is ongoing and the commitments Alphabet would hope to reach a settlement without penalty. That writes Reuters based on sources who are familiar with the matter.
The European Commission’s competition investigation focuses, among other things, on the mandatory use of Google’s services Ad Manager, Display & Video 360 and Google Ads on YouTube by advertisers. This would give the company an unfair advantage and limit the opportunities for competitors on the platform.
Alphabet and the European Commission have been discussing measures to reduce market power for more than a year. Google’s parent company would have to make more concessions than the named proposal to reach a settlement, according to Reuters.