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The Turkish Competition Authority has decided to impose an administrative fine of around 355 million lira ($8.87 million) on Google for failing to comply with regulatory obligations.

In a statement, the antitrust body said on July 10 that Google was found to have implemented certain designs that violated regulations during the compliance process of a previous investigation, leading to the fine, according to a Reuters report.

Read more:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/google-antitrust-trials-openai-expresses-interest-in-acquiring-chrome-should-google-be-forced-to-sell-62920.htm"> Google antitrust trials: OpenAI expresses interest in acquiring Chrome, should Google be forced to sell</a>


The fine stems from a case investigating competition in the local search services related to accommodation prices.

The competition body also recalled it had determined that Google held a dominant position in the general search services market, through a decision from April 2021. Google was then fined nearly TL 296.1 million.


It said it "determined that Google violated Article 6 of Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition by providing its own local search (Local Unit) and accommodation price comparison (GHA) services with a position and display advantage over its competitors on the general search results page, and by preventing competing local search sites from entering the Local Unit, thereby obstructing the activities of competitors and distorting competition in the local search services and accommodation price comparison services markets." 

Read more: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/googles-us-antitrust-trial-google-rigged-the-rules-of-the-road-doj-lawyer-48466.htm">Google's US antitrust trial: “Google rigged the rules of the road” DoJ lawyer</a>


The body also suggested that the board also imposed certain obligations on Google to remedy the violation and ensure effective competition in the market.

"In this context, Google should not position competing local search services and accommodation price comparison services on its general search results page at a disadvantage compared to Google's own services," the statement read.

Read more:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/u-s-court-finds-google-guilty-of-monopolizing-digital-adtech-market-62611.htm"> U.S. Court finds Google guilty of monopolizing digital AdTech market</a>

Turkey's competition board imposes $8.9 million fine to Google

Google will expand ads within its AI-powered search experiences to India later this year, aiming to monetize its generative AI tools in its largest user market.

The company said ads will appear within AI Overviews, its AI-generated search summaries, on desktop and mobile, labeled as “Sponsored,” when relevant to user queries. The move follows tests in the US and comes alongside the rollout of AI Mode, Google’s answer-engine search experience, in India.

“At a time when people discover and make decisions in new ways, this expansion gives businesses more opportunities to reach audiences,” said Dan Taylor, Google’s Vice President of Global Ads, at Google Marketing Live India.

Advertisers using Performance Max, Shopping, Search, and AI Max campaigns will be eligible to place ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google is also launching “Generated For You” in Product Studio, which uses AI to create images and videos for campaigns across Google platforms.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/amp/digital/european-publishers-challenge-google-over-ai-search-summaries-73129.htm">Read more: European publishers challenge Google over AI search summaries</a>

The company previewed “agentic” AI tools for Google Ads and Analytics that will suggest keywords, audiences, and insights to optimize campaigns automatically.

On YouTube, Google is rolling out shoppable connected TV ads and mobile mastheads in India, tapping into what it says is the most-watched streaming platform on televisions in the country.

Early tests of Google’s new AI ad tools have shown promise, with Cashify reporting a 15 percent increase in conversions, and Swiggy cutting re-engagement costs by nearly two-thirds using Retention Mode.

India remains critical for Google’s future growth, with gross ad revenues rising 11.3 percent year-on-year to ₹31,221 crore in FY24.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/google-to-retire-ad-sharing-feature-signaling-full-shift-toward-asset-based-advertising-73815.htm">Read more: Google to retire ad sharing feature, signaling full shift toward asset-based advertising</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/openai-set-to-take-on-google-chrome-with-ai-powered-browser-73745.htm">Read more: OpenAI set to take on Google Chrome with AI-powered browser</a>

Google expands AI-driven ads in India, betting on generative search to power growth

Google announced it will retire the ad sharing functionality within its Google Ads API this October, reshaping how advertisers and developers create and manage campaigns at scale.


Beginning October 15, 2025, with the rollout of version 22 of the Google Ads API, advertisers will no longer be able to create new shared ads—a method that allowed the same static ad to be linked across multiple ad groups without duplication. The company plans to fully sunset existing shared ads in the first quarter of 2026, though an exact date has not yet been disclosed.


The change, detailed in a Google Ads Developer Blog post on Wednesday, is part of a broader shift toward asset-based ad models, such as Responsive Search Ads and Performance Max campaigns, where ads are dynamically assembled from a pool of assets like headlines, descriptions and images. Google argues that static ad sharing has become inefficient in an ecosystem increasingly driven by automated asset combinations designed to match a user’s query and context.


“This change will affect how ads are created and managed at scale, so it’s crucial to understand the implications and prepare your systems accordingly,” the company wrote, urging developers and advertisers to audit and update their systems before the deadline.


The shift will require advertisers to abandon the long-standing practice of linking a single ad object to multiple ad groups. Instead, identical ad copy will need to be recreated as unique ad objects for each ad group, a move that could create operational friction for large advertisers but aligns with Google’s push for more granular and context-aware advertising.


The transition will also reset performance histories tied to shared ads, requiring advertisers to start from scratch for each newly created unique ad. Google has advised advertisers to export and archive historical data before making changes to preserve long-term performance analysis.


For developers, the changes require direct action: auditing current API usage for ad sharing patterns, rewriting scripts to generate unique ads per ad group, and planning a phased migration of shared ads into Responsive Search Ads with richer asset pools for machine learning optimization. Google has outlined a structured approach for developers, including SQL queries to identify shared ads and clear steps for creating compliant replacements.


Between October 15, 2025, and the first quarter of 2026, existing shared ads will continue to serve, but Google has cautioned that attempts to link new ad groups to shared ads will fail. By early 2026, Google will automatically migrate remaining shared ads by duplicating them across ad groups, though this automated process may affect campaign performance due to regenerated assets.


The move comes as Google faces growing competition from platforms like Amazon and Meta, which are similarly emphasizing asset-driven advertising, automation, and performance-based ad formats. It also reflects broader industry trends where static ad structures are increasingly being replaced with dynamic, machine-assembled ads to better capture shifting consumer behavior across search and display environments.


For Google, the deprecation of ad sharing is not merely a technical update but a strategic reinforcement of its automated advertising vision, even if it forces advertisers to adjust legacy processes. Advertisers and developers who fail to adapt risk disruption in campaign management and performance, while those who pivot early may benefit from richer creative optimization and more granular audience targeting.


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Google to retire ad sharing feature, signaling full shift toward asset-based advertising

YouTube is updating its Shorts experience, launching new Shopping product stickers to highlight shoppable products in videos. This move, announced Wednesday, aims to make it easier for viewers to find and buy items.

The new stickers could help creators earn more. During testing last month, YouTube found Shorts with these stickers saw over 40% more clicks on products than those with the old Shopping button. Previously, tagged products appeared in a banner with a Shopping button. Tapping the banner opened a product list.

Now, creators can tag products in a Short to automatically generate a sticker based on the first tagged item. They can adjust the sticker's size and placement. If multiple products are tagged, viewers can tap a downward arrow on the sticker to see a full product list. Clicking a product redirects them to the retailer's website.

Shopping product stickers are rolling out globally over the next week, except in South Korea, where YouTube plans to launch them soon.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan shared at Cannes Lions 2025 that Shorts now average over 200 billion daily views. Mohan also announced that Google's Veo 3 video generator, which creates video and audio, will come to Shorts later this summer.

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YouTube rolls out shopping stickers for Shorts

A jury on Tuesday ordered Google to pay over $314.6 million to Android smartphone users in California, finding the tech giant misused customer cell phone data, as per reports. The verdict stems from a class-action lawsuit alleging Google collected information from idle devices without permission, imposing "mandatory and unavoidable burdens" on users for its own benefit.

Plaintiffs in the 2019 lawsuit, representing an estimated 14 million Californians, argued that Google's collection of data from idle Android phones, used for purposes like targeted advertising, consumed users' cellular data at their expense.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda stated the company plans to appeal the decision, asserting the verdict "misunderstand[s] services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices." During the trial, Google maintained that no Android users were harmed by the data transfers and that users had consented through the company's terms of service and privacy policies.

This state court ruling precedes a separate federal lawsuit bringing similar claims against Google on behalf of Android users in the other 49 states. That case is currently scheduled for trial in April 2026.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/could-googles-cookie-delay-usher-in-a-post-google-ad-era-63397.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Could Google's cookie delay usher in a post-Google ad era?</a>

California jury slams Google with $314 mn data misuse fine

Google is set to warn EU antitrust regulators and its critics that landmark European Union rules aimed at reining in Big Tech are hampering innovation to the detriment of European users and businesses, as per reports. 

The tech giant will also urge regulators to give more detailed guidance to help it comply with the rules, and ask its critics to provide evidence of costs and benefits to prove their case.

Google is under pressure to address charges under the EU's Digital Markets Act that it favours its own services such as Google Shopping, Google Hotels and Google Flights over rivals. The charges may result in fines of as much as 10% of its global annual revenue.

Earlier this month, Google proposed more changes to its search results to better showcase rival products, but critics say these still do not ensure a level playing field.

"We remain genuinely concerned about real world consequences of the DMA, which are leading to worse online products and experiences for Europeans," Google's lawyer Clare Kelly will tell a workshop organised by the European Commission to give Google critics the opportunity to seek clarifications.



She will say changes implemented by Google to date after discussions with the Commission and its critics have resulted in European users paying more for travel tickets as they cannot directly access airline sites, according to a copy of her speech seen by Reuters.
Kelly will also say European airlines, hotels and restaurants have reported up to a 30% loss in direct booking traffic, while users have complained about clunky workarounds.

Google's other lawyer, Oliver Bethell, will ask regulators to spell out in detail what the company needs to do, and critics to come up with hard evidence.
"If we can understand precisely what compliance looks like, not just in theory, but taking account of on the ground experience, we can launch compliant services quickly and confidently across the EEA," he will say.

It's often called the “world’s highest garbage dump.”

The EEA is the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.


"We need help identifying the areas where we should focus. That means bringing real evidence of costs and benefits that we can take account of with the Commission," Bethell said.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/googles-grip-loosens-is-ai-the-search-disruptor-62972.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google's grip loosens: Is AI the search disruptor?</a>

Google pushes back on EU's DMA, citing innovation concerns

In a move aimed at diversifying revenue streams for online publishers, Google has officially launched "Offerwall," a new tool designed to help content creators monetize their sites beyond traditional impression-based advertising. The initiative comes as many publishers report significant drops in website traffic, a trend attributed by some to the increased prominence of Google's AI-powered Gemini summaries atop search results.

Offerwall provides publishers with a range of alternative monetization options, allowing users to choose how they access content. These options include micropayments, completing surveys, signing up for newsletters, or watching short advertisements.

"These options empower audiences to decide how they want to access publishers’ sites and help ensure diverse content remains available to everyone,” Google stated in a recent blog post.

The feature, which Google says was tested with 1,000 publishers over the past year, is now freely available within Google Ad Manager. While touted as a benefit for publishers of all sizes, the company highlighted its particular utility for smaller publishers who may lack the resources to establish diverse revenue streams independently. Google claims that publishers implementing Offerwall have seen an average revenue uplift of 9%, though specific details on the size of these publishers were not provided.

The launch of Offerwall appears to be Google's response to concerns from the publishing industry regarding the impact of AI summaries on traffic and, consequently, advertising revenue. By offering new avenues for monetization, the tech giant aims to provide a "revenue bone" to sites grappling with these changes.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/googles-grip-loosens-is-ai-the-search-disruptor-62972.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/googles-grip-loosens-is-ai-the-search-disruptor-62972.htm</a>

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Google launches "Offerwall" as AI summaries impact publisher ad income

The exit of Xandr from the ad tech ecosystem has done more than just unsettle advertisers — it’s also left publishers navigating a narrower and arguably more constraining DSP landscape. With Google’s DV360, The Trade Desk (TTD), and Amazon DSP emerging as dominant players, many publishers find themselves caught in the gravitational pull of Big Tech platforms.

“DV360 and The Trade Desk are double-edged swords for publishers,” says Arjit Sachdeva, co-founder of VDO.AI,. “While they can significantly boost yield for premium inventory like video or CTV, their inherent complexities and fee structures often create bottlenecks.”

One of the most pressing concerns? The so-called “bid discount.” “There are substantial deductions that occur before the bid enters the auction, meaning an advertiser's $1 bid might effectively become an $0.80 bid for the publisher. This ‘bid discount’ directly erodes our partners' potential revenue.”

Complexity and Cost Keep Smaller Publishers Out

Even as platforms promise yield, the costs, both financial and operational are steep. “These platforms demand considerable technical expertise, which smaller publishers often lack, hindering their ability to maximize yield,” Sachdeva adds.

They highlight a “premium paradox”: “Niche, high-value audiences can incur higher SSP fees compared to lower-quality sites. This challenges the notion that premium inventory should always command better terms, suggesting a systemic issue where intermediaries extract disproportionate value.”

Further complicating matters are high minimum spends — “The Trade Desk's $300,000 to $1 million per month,” notes Schdeva hich “limit demand diversity for publishers.”

The Black Hole of Ad Spend

Fee opacity isn't just an annoyance; it's an existential threat for both sides of the ad supply chain.

According to Sachdeva, “The ISBA study revealed that publishers, on average, receive only 51% of an advertiser's spend. The remaining 49% is siphoned off by agency fees (7%), DSP fees (8%), demand-side tech (10%), SSP fees (8%), and supply-side tech (1%), with a staggering 15% remaining unattributed — the infamous ‘missing money.’”

That “missing money” alone adds up to $22.5 billion annually from a $150 billion industry.

“This opacity hampers ROI, makes it tough to measure campaign value, fosters mistrust in partnerships, and exposes advertisers to fraud and waste,” VDO.AI explains. “Publishers, on the other hand, suffer from severe margin compression, sometimes receiving as little as 2% of the original bid.”

Amazon DSP: Seductive, But Still a Walled Garden?

Among the Big Three, Amazon DSP is increasingly attractive to publishers especially those with video-led inventory.

“Amazon DSP has certainly opened new avenues for our publisher partners,” says Sachdeva. “By leveraging Amazon’s vast first-party data and extensive advertiser network, publishers can achieve higher CPMs and access significant budgets.”

But it’s not without its tradeoffs. “The concern that Amazon DSP might evolve into another ‘closed giant’ remains valid,” they add. “Publishers who become heavily reliant on Amazon DSP risk an over-dependency on a single platform, potentially diminishing their negotiation power or limiting diversification options.”

Even as Amazon touts 90% open web reach and more advertiser flexibility, “the inherent power imbalance persists,” Sachdeva warns.

Platform Loyalty Is Dead

Buzzlab CEO Sindhu Biswal cuts to the chase. “Platform loyalty right now? That’s cute, but it’s not a thing of the present anymore. Clients are less loyal than ever because trust isn’t free, and neither are hefty platform fees.”

“Whether it’s Trade Desk’s pricing backlash, Xandr’s uncertainties, or Amazon’s walled-garden opacity, the sentiment across the board is cautious at best, skeptical at worst,” she says.

And he doesn’t shy away from calling Amazon out. “It’s like Google on steroids, with an added sprinkle of e-commerce magic. But behind the convenience lies the same threat: total control… The lesson of Google wasn’t learned, it’s being repeated.”

Publishers Are Fighting Back 

While DSPs promise scale, publishers are carving alternate paths — not just out of preference, but out of necessity.

“Publishers are increasingly embracing transparent, contextual, and direct ad models,” says VDO.AI, citing pressure from global data privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and India’s DPDPA. “Our research shows 60% of Gen Z disengage from irrelevant ads, and 43% are concerned about data tracking.”

VDO.AI’s Contextual Engine —using NLP for brand-safe, non-creepy ad targeting is seeing traction. “We’ve seen a ~44% increase in publisher inquiries for YouTube-style native video solutions,” they note.

Performance speaks too: “Our Remote-Enabled Interactive CTV Ad Format has delivered 2x higher attention rates, a 5x increase in bottom-funnel actions, and over 10% click-through engagement.”

The Path Forward

The solution isn’t total DSP dependence, but strategic streamlining.

“The most critical change for a more equitable DSP-SSP relationship is a dramatic development in fee transparency,” says VDO.AI. “Advertisers are now actively demanding log-level data and cross-referencing take rates with publishers to identify discrepancies.”

One bright spot is Supply Path Optimization (SPO). “SPO aims to eliminate unnecessary intermediaries, creating a more direct path from advertiser to publisher… For advertisers, it means reduced costs and improved buying power. For publishers, better fill rates and monetization.”

Sachdeva believes in distinct but data-synced DSP–SSP ecosystems. “We provide bid transparency, allowing both advertisers and publishers to see the full details of the bidding process. This fosters trust and reduces inefficiencies.”

The Trade Desk: “Spirit Airlines” of Programmatic?

According to Biswal, “Calling The Trade Desk the ‘Spirit Airlines’ of DSPs might be a bit harsh, but it’s not entirely wrong… hidden fees, extra charges, no frills — but undeniably effective.”

“Until a competitor offers similar scale and precision without the nickel-and-diming, buyers will stick around,” she says. “But if another DSP steps up, simplifies pricing, and offers transparency with comparable performance, buyers will jump ship instantly.”

Advertisers Want Clarity, Not Complexity

As Russhabh R Thakkar, Founder and CEO, Frodoh., “In today’s media landscape, advertisers prioritize clarity over complexity. Transparency is paramount… Media budgets are now being allocated with greater intention.”

Siddharth Jhawar, Country Manager, Moloco India echoes the same: “Transparency is the silver bullet to assuage the level of mistrust in advertising. In today's digital age, there's no reason not to give log-level data to advertisers — but how many marketing channels provide it?”

Jhawar's view is that “the problem comes when marketers bleed money that does not give measurable outcomes — there is less and less money to be wasted on vanity metrics.”

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/amazons-ad-gamble-will-prime-video-redefine-ott-monetization-in-india-66114.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amazon’s ad gamble: Will Prime Video redefine OTT monetization in India?</a>

The DSP reset: After Xandr, are publishers just swapping walled gardens?

The Madras High Court has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by ed-tech company Testbook Edu Solutions Pvt. Ltd. against Google and its parent entities, asper reports. This decision clears the path for a full hearing on allegations that Google's app store billing practices are arbitrary, coercive, and legally unenforceable.

Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy of the Madras High Court dismissed an application by Google India Pvt. Ltd. and Google India Digital Services Pvt. Ltd. that sought to throw out the civil suit at a preliminary stage. Google had argued that the lawsuit was barred by law, specifically citing the Competition Act, 2002, and the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

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Testbook, which operates 736 educational apps through the Google Play Store, claims that Google unilaterally imposed a 15-30% service fee via its Play Billing System. The ed-tech company alleges that Google leveraged its "superior bargaining power" due to its dominant position in the Android ecosystem, where it holds an estimated 96% market share. Testbook also challenged clause 15.3 of Google's Developer Distribution Agreement, which it argues forces developers to either accept new terms or exit the Play Store.

While similar lawsuits filed by other developers have been previously dismissed and upheld by a division bench of the Madras High Court, the present bench found that Testbook's plaint introduced additional critical issues. These include specific allegations of tortious interference, economic duress, and, notably, a claim that Google waived its right to charge service fees due to a prolonged history of not doing so.

In its ruling, the court emphasized that while the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has jurisdiction over market-wide anti-competitive behavior, civil courts are not precluded from hearing contractual disputes between private parties. Justice Ramamoorthy stated that the ouster of a civil court's jurisdiction must be explicit and cannot be easily inferred.

The single-judge bench held, "In contrast to the in rem proceedings before the CCI, in the present suit, the plaintiff has only requested for relief in relation to the specific bilateral contract(s) between the parties to the suit. Such in personam disputes cannot be adjudicated by the CCI, which is statutorily empowered to examine whether an enterprise has abused its dominant position in the relevant market and not whether one party to a contract is in a dominant position vis-a-vis the counter party and whether, in that context, the relevant contract was entered into without the free consent of the aggrieved counter party or is otherwise in violation of public policy because it is unconscionable on account of the abuse of the unfair bargaining power. The above discussion leads to the conclusion that the present suit is not barred by Section 61 of the Competition Act."

This ruling marks a significant moment for app developers in India, offering a potential avenue for recourse against perceived unfair practices by dominant platform providers. The case is now set to proceed to a full hearing, where Testbook's allegations against Google's app store billing policies will be thoroughly examined.

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Indian Ed-Tech vs. Google: High Court clears path for billing dispute

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved a ₹20.24 crore settlement proposal from Google in the Android TV antitrust case, marking a significant development in one of the high-profile competition law proceedings in the country. The decision was taken through a majority order under Section 48A(3) of the Competition Act, 2002, and the recently notified Competition Commission of India (Settlement) Regulations, 2024.

The case originated from a complaint filed by two individuals— Kshitiz Arya and Purushottam Anand—under Section 19(1)(a) of the Act. The complaint alleged that Google LLC, along with its Indian subsidiary Google India Private Limited, Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited, and TCL India Holding Private Limited, had engaged in anti-competitive practices in the Android TV ecosystem.

The primary allegation was that Google abused its dominant position by compelling Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to enter into restrictive agreements. These included mandatory bundling of the Google Play Store with the Android TV operating system and the enforcement of Anti-Fragmentation Agreements that barred OEMs from developing or using modified (forked) versions of Android. Such practices, according to the complaint, blocked market access, reduced competition, and stifled innovation, thereby violating Section 4 of the Competition Act.

Following an investigation ordered under Section 26(1) of the Act, the Director General found that Google held a dominant position in the market for licensable Smart TV operating systems and app stores for Android Smart TVs in India. The probe highlighted that Google’s Television App Distribution Agreement (TADA) and Android Compatibility Commitments (ACC) unfairly tied Google services—such as YouTube and the Play Store—forcing OEMs to pre-install them, which further entrenched Google’s market dominance.

However, allegations relating to refusal to deal and exclusive supply under Section 3(4) of the Act were not substantiated.

Google responded by filing a settlement application under Section 48A of the Act. In line with regulatory procedures, the Commission sought objections and suggestions from 45 concerned stakeholders. After reviewing the feedback and terms of the proposal, the CCI acknowledged Google’s commitment to major structural changes under its newly introduced “New India Agreement.”

As per the agreement, Google will now offer a standalone license for the Play Store and Play Services for Android Smart TVs, eliminating the earlier requirement for bundling or default app placements. It also waives the need for a valid ACC for devices without Google apps, allowing OEMs to develop and market forked versions of Android without violating the terms of TADA.

A Google spokesperson stated that, "Google is committed to abiding by applicable local laws in every country where we operate and are grateful to the CCI for the opportunity to engage and present our case. We also thank the CCI for instituting processes which enable constructive engagements between companies and the market, allowing for continued investment and growth."

Taking into account the gravity and impact of the violations, and applying a 15% settlement discount, the Commission finalized the settlement amount at ₹20.24 crore.

This marks a significant regulatory precedent and is among the first major settlements under the 2024 Settlement Regulations, signaling a shift towards negotiated resolutions in antitrust enforcement.


GOOGLE