Turkey launches antitrust investigation into Google’s AI ads
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Sulaiman
- . June 21, 2025
- . Update: June 23, 2025 12:21 am
The Competition Authority of Turkiye has announced that they have begun an antitrust investigation of technology giant Google, specifically about its AI-enabled advertising solution Performance Max (“PMax“), which is a bundled offering that is intended to be an all-in-one solution. The investigation is concerned with whether Google’s PMax solution could give the company an unfair competitive advantage over other advertisers in the digital advertising marketplace.
The authority believes Google’s practices may amount to a distortion of competition based on favouring its services (e.g., Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps) when using the PMax system. Performance Max is an automated advertising solution that optimises advertisers’ ads across Google’s platforms using artificial intelligence, but the authority suggests the solution may also limit visibility and reduce opportunities for competing publishers and advertisers.
The key issue identified by firms involved is the potential lack of transparency and controls for advertisers in PMax in terms of where ads are being shown and where budgets are being allocated. The authority stated that balance in the digital advertising ecosystem was critical for both smaller and larger players to compete fairly. The antitrust investigation comes at a time of increased scrutiny over how Big Tech is deploying AI in shaping the future of online advertising. The EU and other countries have also raised concerns over algorithm-led advertising dominance. While Google has yet to comment publicly on the investigation in Türkiye, it has previously stated that its advertisement services are intended to give businesses of all sizes the automation and reach they want.
