The European Commission has launched a fresh antitrust investigation into Google over allegations the tech giant is artificially inflating advertising costs on its search engine. The probe, announced in a Feb. 9 letter to affected businesses, targets Alphabet Inc.'s suspected manipulation of ad auction clearing prices to the detriment of advertisers.

The investigation comes as Google already faces €9.5 billion in EU fines from previous antitrust cases. Under EU competition rules, violations can trigger penalties up to 10% of global annual sales. The commission is gathering information about Google's dominance across multiple online advertising markets while the probe remains in early stages.

This latest scrutiny adds to mounting regulatory pressure on Google in Europe, including ongoing Digital Markets Act investigations over its Android platform and Play Store practices. The timing is particularly sensitive given potential tensions with the Trump administration and follows similar allegations from the US Department of Justice. Google maintains its ad auctions are designed to show relevant ads based on competition and quality factors.