Publishers Can Pursue $3.2 Billion in Damages from Google

A US District Judge has ruled that major publishers can pursue over $3.2 billion in damages from Google in an antitrust case centered on its AdX exchange.

The decision, made by Judge P. Kevin Castel in Manhattan, comes after allegations that Alphabet's Google monopolized advertising technology markets and tied up ad buying tools, ultimately harming publishers.

Certified class of roughly 5,000 publishers can try to recover about $1.7 billion, while USA Today Co. and Daily Mail may seek about $900 million and $600 million respectively in damages.

Google has stated it will 'defend the rest in court', with USA Today Co.'s chief legal counsel saying the ruling allows them to pursue their claims at trial, potentially recovering over a billion dollars worldwide.