DOJ, states sue Google over digital ad dominance

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and a handful of states sued Google over the tech giant’s dominance in the digital ad space, according to a complaint filed Tuesday. 

The case is the second antitrust lawsuit the DOJ has filed against Google, adding to the mounting legal battles from state and federal antitrust enforcers targeting the Silicon Valley giant. 

The suit was filed along with Virginia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee. 

“One industry behemoth, Google, has corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers, and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising. Having inserted itself into all aspects of the digital advertising marketplace, Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful means to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies,” the complaint states. 

The Hill reached out to Google for comment. 

In the complaint, the DOJ and states said Google’s plan has been “simple but effective” — alleging the company has eliminated ad tech competitors through acquisitions, and wielded its dominance to “force more publishers and advertisers” to use its products while “disrupting their ability to use competing products effectively.”

Updated at 12:53 p.m.

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