The News/Media Alliance, which represents more than 2,200 U.S. publishers, has given a qualified endorsement to the European Union’s $3.5 billion fine against Google for alleged
antitrust behavior.
“Today’s decision falls short of an appropriate remedy for Google’s anticompetitive actions, but it is movement in the right direction and
furthers the same goals that the Department of Justice and the Texas Attorney General have been pursuing in US courts,” said Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of the News/Media Alliance,
on Friday. “Namely, that Google must be held accountable for decades of abuse of its market power. Google’s monopolistic tactics in the advertising market have starved content creators of
revenue, forced users to pay higher prices, and silenced too many Americans.”
Coffey added, “While we hoped the remedies would have gone further, we are pleased that the
European Union is beginning to align with the Trump administration in standing up to Big Tech monopolies and securing an open and free internet for everyone.”
advertisement
advertisement
“When markets fail,
public institutions must act to prevent dominant players from abusing their power,” EU antitrust commissioner Teresa Ribera said in a statement, MediaPost reports in a story on the fine. “True freedom means a level playing field, where
everyone competes on equal terms and citizens have a genuine right to choose.”