Trkiye: Trkiye's Competition Authority announced on Friday that it has launched an investigation into Google's Performance Max (PMAX) campaign and its potential to distort market competition by combining data from various channels.

According to Anadolu Agency, the competition authority is examining whether Google violated article 6 of the Act no 4054. The investigation focuses on allegations that Google transferred its power in online search advertising services to other online advertising services via the PMAX campaign. The authority is also investigating claims of exploitative practices against advertisers using PMAX and potential market competition distortion through data aggregation.

The investigation aims to determine if Google used its influence in the field to benefit other advertising services and whether it engaged in unfair practices against advertisers. It will also explore whether Google's data aggregation practices prevented fair market competition.

PMAX, launched by Google in 2021, enables ads to be published across all Google-owned ad inventories, including Google Shopping, Search, YouTube, Discover, Display Network, and Maps, through a single campaign. Unlike other Google campaigns, PMAX uses AI features to identify ad inventories that maximize conversions in real-time and optimize the ad delivery process automatically.

The authority emphasized that its investigation decisions do not imply that the companies under investigation have violated the relevant law or will face sanctions.