The DOJ and eight State Attorneys General (CA, CO, CT, NJ, NY, RI, TN and VA) filed a civil action against Google alleging that the company engaged in a long-term scheme to monopolize the digital advertising market in violation of the Sherman Act.
In the Complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, the DOJ and AGs alleged that Google maintains an unfair competitive advantage in the digital advertising market because it controls (i) the digital tool that nearly every major website publisher uses to sell ads, (ii) the digital tool that helps advertisers buy ad inventory and (iii) the largest advertising exchange. The DOJ and AGs said that Google was able to secure this monopoly through acquisitions and by engaging in conduct to hinder competitors' growth. The DOJ and AGs said that Google used its market power to funnel publishers and advertisers towards its own products.
The DOJ and AGs said that Google's conduct violated the Sherman Act. They are seeking the following relief: (i) a declaration that Google acted unlawfully to monopolize digital advertising markets in the United States, (ii) damages, (iii) an order requiring Google to divest certain entities relating to its digital advertising business, and (iv) an injunction prohibiting Google from engaging in anticompetitive practices.
