EU Lawmakers Defy US Ruling, Demand Breakup Option for Google Ad-Tech Business

European lawmakers are pushing the European Commission to keep the option of breaking up Google's advertising technology business open, despite a recent U.S. court ruling against it.

The intervention highlights the ongoing debate over how far competition authorities should go in addressing alleged market power abuses by large tech companies.

Structural remedies, which can include requiring a company to sell businesses or assets, are considered one of the most effective tools available to antitrust regulators. However, implementing such measures can be challenging and politically contentious.

The European Commission has been scrutinizing Google's activities across various digital markets, and the lawmakers' position is that the Commission should not exclude structural remedies simply because a U.S. court declined to break up the company's ad-tech business.