Belgium opens Google ad-tech probe as Japan clears Broadcom VMware

The Belgian probe reflects a growing push by national European regulators to target vertical integration in ad-tech, where Google’s control over the exchange, server, and buying tools creates inherent conflicts of interest. For the streaming industry, this intensifies scrutiny on how automated ad auctions function and whether proprietary stacks disadvantage independent broadcasters. While Broadcom’s victory in Japan provides some relief for post-acquisition licensing strategies, the ongoing European complaint by CISPE suggests that bundled software models remain a primary target for global regulators. Watch for the Belgian regulator’s first evidentiary report in early 2027 to see if they move toward structural remedies.

The Belgian probe arrives as Google faces escalating pressure on two continents. Per Reuters and the AP, July 2026, the European Court of Justice dismissed Google’s final appeal against a €4.1 billion antitrust fine related to its Android operating system, concluding a legal battle that began in 2018. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) won its landmark ad-tech trial in April 2025. Per Mondaq, as of July 2026, Google has reacted by revising its advertiser terms and conditions to implement batch arbitration provisions, a move critics suggest aims to mitigate the volume of private antitrust lawsuits following the DOJ's victory.

Simultaneously, the regulatory environment for Broadcom’s $69 billion acquisition of VMware remains volatile in Europe despite the Japanese clearance. Per CISPE, in March 2026, the trade group filed a formal complaint with the European Commission alleging that Broadcom’s termination of its VMware Cloud Service Provider program in Europe threatened the existence of local cloud firms. CISPE claimed that licensing price hikes and forced bundling increased costs by over 1,000 percent for some members.

Furthermore, per Investing.com, December 2025, CISPE challenged the European Commission's original 2023 approval of the Broadcom-VMware merger in the General Court, arguing the regulator made a "manifest error of assessment" regarding competition in the server virtualization market. While Japan found no proof of illegal tying as of July 2024, the European Commission continues to monitor if Broadcom's behavioral remedies are sufficient to prevent market foreclosure for independent infrastructure providers.