After years under scrutiny, Google has scored a major legal victory in Mexico. The country’s top antitrust watchdog, the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece), has officially closed a case against the tech giant, stating that it found no evidence of monopolistic practices.
The investigation began in 2020, focusing on Google’s operations in the digital advertising market, particularly how ads are placed on its search engine and on third-party websites. At the time, there were concerns that Google may have created an unfair advantage for itself, pushing out competitors by manipulating the way advertisers accessed space online.
However, after a deep analysis, Cofece concluded that advertisers were not forced to buy ads on third-party websites in order to advertise on Google Search. This finding essentially cleared Google of all wrongdoing in the case.
“We appreciate COFECE’s decision recognizing that our products give advertisers the freedom and control to use our tools in the ways that best suit their needs,” said a Google spokesperson in response to the ruling.
Had Cofece ruled against Google, the company could have faced a penalty of up to 8% of its annual revenue in Mexico. While Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, does not break down revenue by country, it reported $20.4 billion in revenue from its ‘Other Americas’ region, which includes Latin America, in 2024.
This development comes as Google continues to grapple with antitrust issues around the world. In the United States, a judge ruled that Google holds an unlawful monopoly in search advertising, and the Department of Justice is currently pushing for major changes, including forcing Google to divest its Ad Manager business.
Globally, regulators are increasingly wary of how Google’s dominant position in online search and advertising may be stifling competition and hurting innovation. Still, for now, this decision in Mexico gives Google some breathing room in its global legal battles.
As antitrust concerns grow and the digital economy becomes even more competitive, all eyes remain on how Google will navigate these challenges in different regions.
