A smartphone displays Google’s Performance Max campaign introduction, in Portland, U.S., Jan. 20, 2024. (Adobe Stock Photo)
June 20, 2025 02:56 PM GMT+03:00
Türkiye’s Turkish Competition Authority has made headlines by launching a **formal investigation into Google**. This inquiry targets concerns surrounding Google’s **artificial intelligence-based advertising service, Performance Max (PMAX)**, accused of potentially exploiting its dominant position in the online advertising realm.
Investigating Market Dominance
According to the authority’s official statement, the investigation is set to assess whether Google is **misusing its formidable power in search advertising** to unfairly bolster its influence across other online advertising sectors via its PMAX campaign. Central to the investigation is whether Google has imposed **exploitative practices on advertisers**, stifling fair competition by amalgamating data across its extensive platforms.
Photo depicts a user interacting with Google Ads dashboard on a tablet, June 20, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Focus on Data Integration & Market Leverage
The ongoing investigation revolves around potential violations of Turkish competition law, specifically the prohibition against abusing dominant market positions. The Authority highlights concerns regarding Google’s strategy of leveraging its robust search advertising position to gain upper hand in other channels, including **YouTube, Google Maps, and the Google Display Network**. A significant part of the scrutiny involves Google’s extensive data collection across its services—spanning the Chrome browser and Android operating system—which could grant the tech giant an **unfair competitive advantage** in the advertising landscape.
The Transparency Dilemma
Regulators have raised alarms about **PMAX’s transparency** and the limited control options afforded to advertisers. The investigation aims to determine whether these characteristics cultivate conditions for exploitative practices, effectively hindering advertisers from accessing crucial performance metrics and details regarding ad placements.
What is Performance Max?
Launched in 2023, Performance Max allows advertisers to access **Google’s entire ad inventory** through a single campaign. Unlike traditional ad types, PMAX employs machine learning to dynamically identify which Google platform will yield the highest conversion rates for each ad in real time. This includes inventory across Google Search, YouTube, Shopping, Discover, and more.
While this service is lauded for its **efficiency and automation**, Turkish regulators are now questioning whether its structure inadvertently distorts competition and harms advertisers in the long run.
Ongoing Investigation: No Penalties Yet
It’s important to note that the initiation of this investigation does not imply that Google has violated any laws or that it will face penalties in the future. As the Turkish Competition Authority clarifies, this is merely the first procedural step to evaluate the allegations and gather substantial evidence.
The investigation will closely monitor whether the integration of services and the **AI-driven allocation of ad inventory** result in anti-competitive consequences in Türkiye’s digital advertising arena.
June 20, 2025 02:56 PM GMT+03:00
