<p> The EU launched a wide-ranging antitrust probe against Google Tuesday over concerns that it is forcing out rivals in the lucrative online advertising market.</p>.<p>The investigation will "assess whether Google has violated EU competition rules by favouring its own online display advertising technology services", a statement said.</p>.<p>The probe narrows in on an important slice of Google's business model where over 80 per cent of the giant's revenue last year came from advertising, or $147 billion (124 billion euros).</p>.<p>"We are concerned that Google has made it harder for rival online advertising services to compete" in display ad technology, said EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager.</p>.<p>At issue is Google's largely unnoticed, but highly dominant technologies that serve as an intermediary or broker between advertisers and publishers online.</p>.<p>The business was also at the heart of a recent case in France - brought by News Corp, French daily Le Figaro and Belgium's Groupe Rossel - that saw Google fined 220 million euros ($267 million).</p>.<p>As in France, the EU will try to determine whether Google gave preferential treatment to its own ad inventory technologies AdX and Doubleclick, but will also look at other aspects of its business.</p>.<p>Crucially, the probe will also look into Google's announced plans to prohibit the placement of third party "cookies" on its Chrome browser, a move that has angered some publishers and advertisers.</p>.<p>A Google spokesperson said the company "will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission to answer their questions and demonstrate the benefits of our products to European businesses and consumers."<br /><br /></p>
<p> The EU launched a wide-ranging antitrust probe against Google Tuesday over concerns that it is forcing out rivals in the lucrative online advertising market.</p>.<p>The investigation will "assess whether Google has violated EU competition rules by favouring its own online display advertising technology services", a statement said.</p>.<p>The probe narrows in on an important slice of Google's business model where over 80 per cent of the giant's revenue last year came from advertising, or $147 billion (124 billion euros).</p>.<p>"We are concerned that Google has made it harder for rival online advertising services to compete" in display ad technology, said EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager.</p>.<p>At issue is Google's largely unnoticed, but highly dominant technologies that serve as an intermediary or broker between advertisers and publishers online.</p>.<p>The business was also at the heart of a recent case in France - brought by News Corp, French daily Le Figaro and Belgium's Groupe Rossel - that saw Google fined 220 million euros ($267 million).</p>.<p>As in France, the EU will try to determine whether Google gave preferential treatment to its own ad inventory technologies AdX and Doubleclick, but will also look at other aspects of its business.</p>.<p>Crucially, the probe will also look into Google's announced plans to prohibit the placement of third party "cookies" on its Chrome browser, a move that has angered some publishers and advertisers.</p>.<p>A Google spokesperson said the company "will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission to answer their questions and demonstrate the benefits of our products to European businesses and consumers."<br /><br /></p>