Google’s €3.45 billion adtech penalty adds up
Google faces its fourth EU penalty in a decade, this time a €2.95 billion ($3.45 billion) fine for anti-competitive adtech practices. The European Commission found Google favored its own display technology services, reinforcing AdX’s central role while charging rivals high fees.
President Trump immediately criticized the action as “unfair” and “discriminatory,” threatening Section 301 trade retaliation. He warned: “I will be forced to start a Section 301 proceeding to nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these Taxpaying American Companies.”
Brussels ordered Google to stop self-preferencing practices and address inherent conflicts of interest within 60 days. EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera warned of “strong remedies” including potential divestitures if compliance fails.
Google’s Lee-Anne Mulholland countered that the decision “imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses.” The company plans to appeal.
The case highlights growing transatlantic friction over digital market regulation as Google faces parallel US antitrust proceedings.
Nvidia pushes back on GAIN Act’s chip restrictions
Nvidia warned Friday that the proposed GAIN AI Act would restrict global competition for advanced chips, comparing its potential impact to Biden’s AI Diffusion Rule that limited computing power allocations by country.
The Guaranteeing Access and Innovation for National Artificial Intelligence Act requires AI chipmakers to prioritize domestic orders for advanced processors before supplying foreign customers. The legislation targets chips “with total processing power of 4,800 or above.”
Nvidia’s spokesperson argued: “We never deprive American customers in order to serve the rest of the world. In trying to solve a problem that does not exist, the proposed bill would restrict competition worldwide in any industry that uses mainstream computing chips.”
The bill would mandate export licenses for silicon exceeding performance caps, mirroring conditions from Biden’s AI diffusion rule. Both measures aim to ensure domestic access while limiting China’s high-end tech capabilities.
This comes after Trump’s unprecedented deal giving government revenue shares from Nvidia’s banned chip sales to China.
OpenAI chips in with Broadcom for 2026 silicon debut
OpenAI plans to launch its first custom AI chip next year through a partnership with semiconductor giant Broadcom, targeting internal use rather than external sales. The move represents a strategic shift toward hardware independence for the ChatGPT maker.
Broadcom CEO Hock Tan revealed Thursday that his company secured “more than $10 billion in AI infrastructure orders from new customer” without naming OpenAI directly. A new prospect became “a qualified customer” after placing firm orders last quarter.
The custom chip development follows OpenAI’s broader diversification strategy to reduce reliance on Nvidia’s hardware. The company has been working with Broadcom and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing to develop in-house silicon since last year.
OpenAI joins tech giants Google, Amazon and Meta in building custom chips to handle surging AI workloads. The vertical integration approach aims to control costs and meet infrastructure demands.
The chip is being finalized for fabrication at TSMC, with production targeted for 2026 deployment across OpenAI’s systems.
Atlassian bets $610M on AI browser future
Atlassian will acquire New York startup The Browser Company for $610 million cash, diving into the competitive AI-driven browser market. The deal values the Arc and Dia browser creator at a premium to its $550 million Series B valuation last year.
Startups and incumbents are racing to embed agentic AI features into browsers, transforming them into workspaces that summarize pages and take actions for users. The Browser Company’s Dia browser faces competition from Nvidia-backed Perplexity’s Comet and Brave’s Leo.
Atlassian plans to make Dia its enterprise browser solution, designed to pull together tasks and tools across the web while adding contextual intelligence for workplace environments.
The acquisition challenges Microsoft’s Edge-Copilot dominance in corporate settings, though Google’s Chrome still commands 69% overall market share. Atlassian’s venture arm previously invested in Browser Company’s Series A round.
The deal closes in December, funded from Atlassian’s $2.5 billion cash reserves, with minimal fiscal impact expected.
