Google Facing $3.2 Billion in Publisher Damages Over Ad-Tech Monopoly
Google is facing a massive $3.2 billion in damage claims after a New York federal judge ruled that a class of large publishers, including USA Today Co. and Daily Mail General Trust Plc, can proceed with lawsuits alleging harm from Google's monopolization of the advertising technology market.
US District Judge P. Kevin Castel in Manhattan allowed jury trials to move forward on claims related to Google’s AdX advertising exchange. The ruling permits about 5,000 publishers to seek approximately $1.7 billion in damages, while USA Today and Daily Mail can pursue $900 million and $600 million, respectively. Google had attempted to contest the damage calculations but was unsuccessful.
Google responded by stating that the ruling dismissed claims from some publishers who used a different ad-buying tool and that it will defend the remaining claims in court. Polly Grunfeld Sack, chief legal counsel for USA Today Co., called the ruling a significant victory, allowing the company to pursue $1 billion in worldwide damages.
The lawsuits are part of broader antitrust actions against Google, with the US Justice Department and a group of states suing the company in 2023 for allegedly illegally monopolizing key areas of the digital advertising technology market. A separate federal judge in Virginia recently ruled that Google must make its ad tech tools compatible with those of rivals but stopped short of ordering a breakup of the business.