Planned changes The Google To track ads, they could face oversight from UK regulators after the company made a series of proposals to end an antitrust investigation.
The Competition and Markets Authority said the concessions come after its investigation into Google’s planned removal of third-party cookies that publishers and advertisers use to track users and measure the success of ad campaigns. The CMA said it was concerned that the planned changes could “hamper competition in the digital advertising markets”.
‘The emergence of technology giants such as The Google “If accepted, the obligations we have obtained from Google will become legally binding,” Andrea Coseli, CEO of the agency, said in a statement Friday.
Publishers and ad technology companies complained in November that privacy changes would limit their ability to collect information about web users, helping them deliver more valuable ads. They said small media companies risk losing up to 75% of their revenue.
Among the proposals, he said, was Google’s commitment to “develop and implement the proposals in a way that avoids distortions of competition and imposing unfair conditions on Chrome users” and working with competition and data protection authorities.
Google is also planning “material restrictions” on how it handles user data for digital advertising purposes, after removing third-party cookies.
Google said in a blog post on Friday that if the UK accepted its promises, it would implement them globally.
“Subtly charming bacon junkie. Infuriatingly humble beer trailblazer. Introvert. Evil reader. Hipster-friendly creator.”