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Google faces huge fine over advertising illegal online pharmacies
Last reviewed: 30.06.2025
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The US Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Google, which is suspected of profiting from advertising online pharmacies banned in America, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.
On May 10, Google released an updated financial report for the first quarter of this year, which showed that the company had set aside $500 million to pay fines related to online advertising. The report did not provide details of the government's claims against the company.
According to the publication, the issue concerns, in particular, advertisements from Canadian pharmacies that violate US law. The newspaper points out that there are many pharmacy websites on the Internet that sell drugs without prescriptions or counterfeits.
If found guilty, the company faces one of the largest fines it has ever had to pay to U.S. authorities. Google and the Justice Department declined to comment.
The company's first-quarter profit fell to $1.8 billion as it set aside money to pay for potential fines. Last year, the company's advertising revenue topped $30 billion, largely thanks to its AdWords service.
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