Nine more?states?join DOJ lawsuit against?Google’s alleged antitrust ad tech
Nine more states have joined the Justice Department in a federal antitrust lawsuit targeting Google for allegedly holding a monopoly over the digital advertising market.
The latest entrants on the DOJ’s lawsuit were Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Washington and West Virginia, the feds said. They joined eight other states that filed suit alongside the Justice Department in January.
The federal lawsuit – one of several major pending antitrust cases targeting Google parent Alphabet’s massive business empire – accuses the tech giant of using “anticompetitive, exclusionary and unlawful means to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies.”
Google shares sank more than 1% in trading Tuesday.
The DOJ argues that Google should be forced to sell its ad manager suite as part of the crackdown on its alleged monopoly – an action that would endanger an advertising business that generates roughly 80% of the company’s revenue.
Google has denied allegations that it engages in anticompetitive business practices. Last month, the tech giant petitioned a federal judge to dismiss the suit.
In its response to the suit last January, Google said the feds were “doubling down on a flawed argument that would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow.”
A separate federal antitrust lawsuit related to Google’s search business, which was filed in 2020 near the end of former President Donald Trump’s term in office, is slated to go to trial in September.
In March, Google denied allegations that it had intentionally destroyed corporate “chat” logs related to the latter lawsuit.
“Google’s daily destruction of written records prejudiced the United States by depriving it of a rich source of candid discussions between Google’s executives, including likely trial witnesses,” the DOJ argued in a March filing.
The company said it made “reasonable” efforts to preserve the logs.
Federal antitrust officials are targeting Google as part of a broader crackdown on Big Tech.
Alphabet also faces another federal probe into its Google Maps business, which includes a giant stockpile of location data for businesses and other points of public interest.
Officials are examining whether Google has engaged in anticompetitive practices in its mapping business by requiring app developers to use its map and search products as part of its terms of service.
Politico reported an antitrust lawsuit related to Google Maps could be filed as soon as this year.
With Post wires