EU antitrust officials are likely to order Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) to stop its anti-competitive practices in its adtech business but will not issue a breakup order as they had originally warned, according to Reuters on Friday, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter.
A breakup order could come at a later stage if Google continues its anti-competitive practices, the Reuters report said, and they added European Commission’s decision could evolve over time.
The EU decision on the matter is unlikely to come before current antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager leaves office in November, sources told Reuters, because of the complexity of the case but it is still “a theoretical possibility.”
The decision is likely to be issued end 2024 or 2025 under new antitrust chief, according to the sources.