Alphabet unit Google could face EU antitrust charges next year over its digital advertising business, putting the company at risk of its fourth fine in the EU of more than a billion euros, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The company, which risks its fourth billion-euro fine, subsequently sought to settle the case but concessions were minor and very preliminary, one of the people said. Google has racked up more than 8 billion euros in EU antitrust fines in the last decade. Google could avert the charges by offering more concessions to settle the investigation. Some companies prefer to see the precise regulatory concerns before proposing remedies tailored to these.