Google Faces New Multibillion Ad Lawsuit

A lawsuit has been filed against Google to seek £3.4 billion ($4.2 billion) in compensation for publishers for lost revenue, Chris Vallance reported for BBC News.

Photo Insert: Google is being accused of unlawfully using a dominant position in online advertising in a way that reduced what publishers could make from them.

The claim, by ex-Guardian technology editor Charles Arthur, alleges Google unlawfully used a dominant position in online advertising in a way that reduced what publishers could make from them.

In response, Google said it would fight the "speculative and opportunistic" action vigorously. A similar case was filed in November by former Ofcom director Claudio Pollack, who is looking for up to £13.6 billion in damages from the tech giant.

The cases concern advertising technology - adtech - that decides in a fraction of a second which online advertising consumers will see, how much they will cost, and how much publishers will earn. Online display advertising is the main source of income for many websites.

The UK competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), is also investigating Google's dominance in advertising technology.

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