DoJ will soon sue Google over non-competitive digital ads

The news follows the EU’s antitrust probe into Google's app store rules

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Image: Shutterstock via Dennis

10 August 2022

The US Department of Justice is set to sue Google for abuse of its dominant position in the digital advertising market.

Per Bloomberg, the lawsuit could be filed no later than September. The DoJ previously sued Google over its dominance in the search engine market and its alleged efforts to thwart competition in 2020. As matters stand, the 2020 lawsuit is still on the anvil.

The new antitrust lawsuit accentuates to American Innovation and Choice Online Act that prohibits big firms from performing certain practices, including giving preference to their own products, wrongfully restricting the availability of competing products from another business, or enforcement of supra-competitive terms of service among similarly situated users.

“Our advertising technologies help websites and apps fund their content, and enable small businesses to reach customers around the world,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to MarketWatch.

“The enormous competition in online advertising has made online ads more relevant, reduced ad tech fees, and expanded options for publishers and advertisers.”

Earlier this month, the European Commission’s antitrust enforcers launched an investigation into Play Store’s billing guidelines. The investigation focuses on Google’s high developer fees as well as its refusal to allow alternative billing systems to collect payments.

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