Google Ad-Tech Antitrust Lawsuit Moves Forward Amid $2B Damages Claim
A federal judge in New York has allowed key antitrust claims against Google to proceed, rejecting much of the company's effort to dismiss them before trial.
The lawsuit concerns Google's dominance in digital advertising technology, specifically its control of ad servers and exchanges. The plaintiffs - a class of digital publishers including Gannett and Daily Mail - claim this has reduced their revenue or forced them to pay excessive fees.
In the 88-page opinion, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel denied Google's requests for summary judgment on the publishers' principal claims. He also rejected the company's efforts to exclude key expert testimony supporting the plaintiffs' claims of financial harm.
The litigation has significant financial stakes, with estimates suggesting damages of approximately $901 million to Gannett and $600 million to Daily Mail. A separate expert for the publisher class calculated $1.72 billion in class-wide damages through March 31, 2024, with additional damages accruing afterward.