news/GOOG/2023.02.01/European telecoms' advertising venture set for EU approval -sources.txt

(Adds European Commission, Vodafone decline comment, Telefonica
comment, no immediate comment from others, details)BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom,
Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone's
plan to take on Big Tech with their own advertising joint
venture is set to win unconditional EU antitrust approval,
people familiar with the matter said.The joint venture marks the telecoms sector's first attempt
to take on Meta and Alphabet'S Google in the
lucrative online advertising sector and diversify their revenue
streams.Google is the world's leading seller of online advertising,
well ahead of Meta, with the business generating about 80% of
its revenue.The European Commission, which is scheduled to decide on the
deal by Feb. 10 after its preliminary review, and Vodafone
declined to comment.Telefonica referred to the joint filing with the EU
antitrust watchdog. Deutsche Telekom and Orange did not
immediately respond to requests for comment.The EU competition enforcer describes the joint venture as a
privacy-led, digital identification solution to support the
digital marketing and advertising activities of brands and
publishers.Earlier this week, pan-European consumer lobbying group BEUC
voiced concerns over how data would be collected by the joint
venture and how the partners aim to get users' consent.It urged EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager to ensure
that the joint venture complies with the bloc's privacy rules
and the companies do not thwart rivals which may offer a more
privacy friendly product.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, Editing by Louise Heavens and
Elaine Hardcastle)