Google Hit by EU Antitrust Probe Over Search Ads Pricing (1)

Google, the target for billions of euros in European Union antitrust fines, has been hit by a fresh EU probe over concerns it’s illegally rigging the cost of advertising on its search engine.

The European Commission suspects the Alphabet Inc. unit is “artificially increasing the clearing price” of ad auctions “to the detriment of advertisers,” according to a copy of a Feb. 9 letter to potentially affected businesses, seen by Bloomberg.

The Brussels-based regulator said that the suspected conduct — if backed up by evidence — could violate competition rules, which can trigger fines as high as 10% of ...