EU Court upholds €750,000 fine on Google for gambling ads

The European Union's highest court ruled on Thursday, July 16, 2026, that Google can be held liable for gambling advertisements on YouTube when it has a commercial partnership with the content creator, a decision that could narrow the legal protections for major online platforms. The ruling came in a case where Google challenged a 750,000 euro fine imposed by Italy's communications regulator, AGCOM, for videos that allegedly violated the country's strict 2018 ban on gambling advertising.

The Court of Justice of the European Union clarified that while platforms generally enjoy liability exemptions as neutral hosts for user-uploaded content, that protection can be lost if they move beyond a passive role. The court found that Google's actions in this case crossed that line. Before admitting the creator to YouTube's Partner Program, which shares advertising revenue, Google reviewed the channel's theme, its most-viewed and newest videos, and associated metadata. The court stated that such a review gives the platform specific knowledge of the channel's essential content, which in this case was gambling promotion.

The judges emphasized that the exemption from liability does not...