Do Son 
A years-long antitrust investigation against Google in Mexico has concluded without consequence for the corporation. The Federal Economic Competition Commission of Mexico (Cofece) officially closed the case, having found no evidence of abuse of a dominant position in the digital advertising market. As a result, Google avoided a potential fine that could have amounted to as much as 8% of its annual revenue in the country.
The investigation, which began in 2020, focused on Google’s advertising services—specifically those used on its search page and on third-party websites. Cofece examined whether the company gained an unfair advantage over competitors due to structural features of its online ad-buying platform.
In its official statement, the regulator emphasized that purchasing ads on Google’s search page does not require mandatory participation in its advertising network for third-party sites. This, according to the commission, indicates a lack of coercion and thus precludes charges of monopolistic conduct.
Google representatives expressed satisfaction with the Mexican authorities’ decision, noting that their advertising products provide users with freedom of choice and control over how they engage with the company’s tools.
Although Alphabet—Google’s parent company—does not disclose country-specific revenue in its public financial reports, it is known that in 2024, revenue from the “Other Americas” region, which includes Latin America, reached approximately $20.4 billion.
Against the backdrop of a global wave of antitrust actions targeting the world’s largest technology firms, the decision from Mexico stands out as particularly noteworthy. Elsewhere, developments have taken a different turn. In the United States, a federal court has already found Google guilty of unlawfully monopolizing the market for online search and associated advertising. The Department of Justice is pushing to prohibit the company from continuing its multibillion-dollar payments to Apple and other device manufacturers to secure default search engine placement.
In a separate U.S. case, Google also stands accused of illegally monopolizing two segments of the digital advertising market. The Department of Justice is demanding the forced divestiture of Google Ad Manager, including its ad server for publishers and the company’s proprietary ad exchange.
Thus, despite the dismissal of charges in Mexico, global regulatory pressure on Google regarding anticompetitive practices remains intense, with several high-profile cases continuing to gain momentum.
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