The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has officially initiated formal proceedings against Google to investigate potential anticompetitive practices within the online advertising sector. This decision, announced under case reference CONC-RPR-26-0004, follows a preliminary analysis by the Prosecution and Investigation Service. The investigation aims to determine whether the technology giant has leveraged its multi-layered presence in the ad-tech ecosystem to unfairly disadvantage competitors or exploit its market position.
At the heart of the investigation is Google’s role as a dominant intermediary. In the digital advertising market, advertisers looking to promote products and publishers seeking to monetize their websites are linked through complex automated services. Google operates at nearly every level of this chain, providing an ad exchange service (AdX) for the real-time sale of ad space, as well as various Ad Buying Tools used by advertisers to participate in those auctions.
The Prosecutor General has indicated that there are serious signs of a possible infringement of competition rules, specifically regarding the abuse of a dominant position under Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and the Belgian Code of Economic Law. The probe will also examine whether Google has abused a state of economic dependence, a specific legal threshold under Belgian law that protects businesses that have no reasonable alternative but to use a dominant provider’s services.
The BCA is focusing its scrutiny on the general terms and conditions of Google’s intermediation services, alongside allegations of discriminatory treatment. Investigators are looking into whether Google provided preferential treatment to its own tools to the detriment of rival services and the users who rely on them. This case aligns with the BCA’s stated enforcement priorities, which have placed a heavy emphasis on policing the digital economy to ensure fair market access.
While the opening of these proceedings signifies a formal escalation, the BCA has clarified that this step does not prejudge the final outcome of the investigation. The process remains in a preliminary stage, and Google will be granted full participation in the proceedings to address the allegations. As the investigation unfolds, it joins a growing list of global regulatory challenges facing the company regarding its integrated ad-tech business model.