A UK court has ruled that Google must face a £13.6 billion ($17 billion) lawsuit alleging it wields too much power over the online advertising market.
Why we care. The case could have far-reaching implications for the digital ad industry. Will this lead to advertisers spending less on Google?
Driving the news. The Competition Appeal Tribunal in London rejected Google’s attempt to dismiss the case, allowing it to proceed to trial.
The lawsuit, brought by Ad Tech Collective Action LLP, claims Google’s anticompetitive practices have cost UK online publishers money.
It alleges Google engages in “self-preferencing,” promoting its own products over rivals.
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Google’s response. The tech giant calls the lawsuit “speculative and opportunistic,” vowing to “oppose it vigorously and on the facts.”
Context. This is just one of many regulatory challenges Google faces:
What’s next? No trial date is set yet. The case has already taken 18 months to reach this stage.
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About the author
Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and more.
In 2008, Anu’s career started with
delivering digital marketing campaigns (mostly but not exclusively Paid Search) by building strategies, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing efficiency from every part of marketing departments through inspiring leadership both on agency, client and marketing tech side.
Outside editing Search Engine Land article she is the founder of PPC networking event – PPC Live, host of weekly podcast PPCChat Roundup, and brand evangelist at ClickTech.
She is also an international speaker with some of the stages she has presented on being SMX (US), SMX (Munich), Friends of Search (Amsterdam), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna) and more.
