Google Faces New Antitrust Probe in Turkey Over PMAX Campaign
Turkey’s Competition Authority launches investigation into Google’s Performance Max campaign, scrutinizing potential abuse of dominance in online advertising.
Turkey’s Competition Authority has initiated a new investigation into Google to determine whether the tech giant is abusing its dominance in the online advertising sector through its Performance Max (PMAX) campaign. This follows a record-breaking fine of 2.6 billion Turkish lira imposed on Google last year for similar concerns.
The investigation centers on Google’s PMAX campaign, introduced in 2021, which allows advertisers to access all Google Ads platforms through a single, goal-oriented advertising model. The authority will examine whether Google leverages PMAX to extend its dominance from search-based advertising to other online advertising services, engages in exploitative practices against advertisers, or stifles competition through data integration.
Statement from the Competition Authority
The Competition Authority announced that an investigation has been launched against the economic entity comprising Alphabet Inc., Google Ireland Limited, Google LLC, Google International LLC, and Google Reklamcılık ve Pazarlama Ltd. Şti. (collectively referred to as GOOGLE). The probe, initiated under Article 41 of Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition, stems from a decision by the Competition Board dated June 12, 2025 (Decision No. 25-22/519-M).
The investigation will assess allegations that Google violates Article 6 of Law No. 4054 by transferring its dominance in search-based advertising to other online advertising services through the PMAX campaign, engaging in exploitative practices toward advertisers using PMAX, and restricting competition through data consolidation.
This latest probe underscores Turkey’s ongoing efforts to regulate the practices of global tech giants in the digital advertising market.
