Google Ad-Tech Monopoly Lawsuit Allowed to Proceed, Publishers Seek $3.2 Billion in Damages

A federal judge in New York has allowed a $3.2 billion damages lawsuit against Google (GOOGL.US) to proceed, giving publishers the opportunity to claim billions in compensation for harm caused by the tech giant's alleged ad-tech monopoly.

The case, which dates back to 2023 when the U.S. Department of Justice and state governments filed a lawsuit against Google, alleges that the company illegally monopolized several segments of ad-tech used to buy, sell, and deliver online display ads.

In a ruling issued on Wednesday evening, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel in Manhattan stated that he would allow the case to proceed to a jury trial, allowing a collective of roughly 5,000 publishers to seek approximately $1.7 billion in damages from Google, and rejecting the company's challenge to the calculation of those damages.

The judge also permitted USA Today Co., Daily Mail General Trust Plc, and other major publishers to claim separate damages, with USA Today seeking around $900 million and Daily Mail seeking around $600 million. The ruling marks a significant victory for the publishers, who are represented by law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.