Google to change global advertising practices in landmark antitrust deal

Google said it would make changes to its global advertising business to ensure it did not abuse its dominance, bowing to antitrust pressure for the first time in a landmark settlement with French authorities.

The deal with the French competition watchdog could help rebalance the power over advertising in favour of publishers, which held sway over the business in the pre-internet era but lost control with the rapid rise of Google and Facebook.

The settlement, announced on Monday and included a fine on of 220 million euros ($268 million), was the first time the U.S. tech giant had agreed to make changes to its ads business, which brings in the bulk of its revenue.