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Italian watchdog drops Google display adv case as EU antitrust investigates – Metro US

Italian watchdog drops Google display adv case as EU antitrust investigates

FILE PHOTO: Google logo on office building in Irvine, California
FILE PHOTO: Google logo on office building in Irvine, California

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s competition watchdog said on Tuesday it had dropped a probe into Alphabet’s Google alleged abuse of its dominant position in the online display advertising market after the EU antitrust started a similar investigation.

The Italian watchdog decided non to take any action as under EU laws the case is now out of its responsibility, it said in its weekly bulletin.

The European Commission opened an investigation in June into whether Google distorts competition by favouring its own online advertising technology services to the detriment of rivals, advertisers and online publishers.

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Giulia Segreti)