Using market power to hinder competition (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - New York, 06 Sep - The UK's antitrust regulator said it had provisionally found Alphabet's Google had abused its dominant positions through the operation of both its publisher ad server and buying tools to restrict competition in the UK.

In a statement the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had provisionally found that, when placing digital ads on websites, the vast majority of publishers and advertisers use Google's ad tech services to bid for and sell advertising space.

"We've provisionally found that Google is using its market power to hinder competition when it comes to the ads people see on websites," said Juliette Enser, Interim Executive Director of Enforcement at CMA.

"Many businesses are able to keep their digital content free or cheaper by using online advertising to generate revenue.

Adverts on these websites and apps reach millions of people across the UK - assisting the buying and selling of goods and services." Representations from Google will now be considered, the CMA said, before it reaches a decision on what action to take.

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(RADIOCOR) 06-09-24 14:14:29 (0385) 5 NNNN