Google-Facebook deals to manipulate bidding and auctions in the online advertising industry

Priority question for written answer  P-000489/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Alexandra Geese (Verts/ALE)

In December 2020, ten US state attorneys‑general brought a lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of having made an agreement with Facebook in September 2018 to manipulate bidding and auctions in the online advertising industry. The complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and details how Google and Facebook agreed, for instance, to manipulate publisher auctions in Facebook’s favour.

• 1.Has the Commission made assessments as regards the potential impact of the contents of the complaint on the single market?
• 2.Is it planning to investigate agreements between Google/Alphabet and Facebook as well as the companies’ illegal misuse of their dominant positions in the online advertising market?