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ARTICLE · 17 MARCH 2026

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Antitrust Authorities Target Both Exploitative And Exclusionary Abuses Of Dominance

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In Europe, abuse of dominance fine volumes stayed steady in 2025 as antitrust authorities imposed financial penalties and crafted tailored commitments to remedy concerns. Globally, there was continued scrutiny of Big Tech.

GlobalAntitrust/Competition Law
Thomas Masterman
Thomas Masterman
Imogen Carr
Imogen Carr
Laura Harvey
Laura Harvey
Emily Bourne
Emily Bourne
Anudeep Bhattacharyya
Anudeep Bhattacharyya
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In Europe, abuse of dominance fine volumes stayed steady in 2025 as antitrust authorities imposed financial penalties and crafted tailored commitments to remedy concerns. Globally, there was continued scrutiny of Big Tech.

Notably, in digital markets, there appeared to be a shift in focus from pure exclusionary cases towards exploitative cases, together with complementary enforcement under the antitrust and digital markets regimes. This trend was particularly strong in the EU. 

Regional abuse of dominance fine comparison (2023-2025)

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European Commission (EC): The EC recorded the highest volume of fines for abuse of dominance of any antitrust authority. However, this was driven by one decision: a USD3.3 billion fine on Google for alleged self-preferencing in the adtech market—further details are set out below. The EC also publicly consulted on draft guidelines on exclusionary abuses in 2024, which are set for adoption in Q1/Q2 2026.

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