Gannett-USA Today headquarters building in McLean, Virginia.
Paul J. Richards | AFP | Getty Images
USA Today publisher Gannett is taking legal action against Google for allegedly engaging in illegal monopolistic practices in the advertising technology market. This lawsuit adds to the growing number of legal challenges faced by Google, accusing the company of anticompetitive behavior.
In a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, Gannett argued that Google, by acquiring rather than developing the largest ad exchange and ad server, has executed a sophisticated and deceptive scheme of anticompetitive behavior over many years. The publisher claimed that Google’s extensive control of the ad tech market has negatively impacted news publishers, leading to a decrease in online ad spending despite an increase in online readership.
Gannett Chairman and CEO Michael Reed stated, “Google has monopolized market trading to their advantage and at the expense of publishers, readers, and everyone else. Digital advertising is the lifeblood of the online economy. Without free and fair competition for digital ad space, publishers cannot invest in their newsrooms.”
This lawsuit aligns with the arguments presented by the Department of Justice in its second lawsuit against Google, which focused on the company’s control of various aspects of the ad selling and buying market. Additionally, a group of attorneys general, led by Texas, filed a 2020 lawsuit alleging anticompetitive practices related to Google’s ad tech products.
At the time of writing, Google has not provided a response to the request for comment.
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