Google nears settlement of French antitrust case: Report

Alphabet Inc’s Google is nearing a settlement of an antitrust investigation in France over allegations it abused its power in online advertising, and will likely pay a fine and institute operational changes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The French Competition Authority has said that Google’s tool to help websites and apps sell ads gave Google’s online ad auction system an advantage over rival exchanges, the people told the newspaper.

Google offered to settle the matter by removing obstacles that it puts up against competitors, the newspaper reported.