Canada files lawsuit against Google for online advertising monopoly
The Canadian Competition Bureau accuses Google of violating antitrust laws and demands the elimination of its dominance in the advertising technology sector.
Photo: pixabay.com
On November 28, 2024, the Canadian Competition Bureau announced that it had filed a lawsuit against Google for anti-competitive behavior in the online advertising technology market, as reported on the government’s website.
The lawsuit was submitted to the Competition Tribunal and includes demands to cease practices that undermine competitors’ rights, as well as the sale of parts of Google’s advertising tools.
The case revolves around Google’s dominance in automated auction technologies used for buying and selling online ad space.
According to the Bureau, the company deliberately restricts opportunities for other market players by integrating its tools into a unified system and granting them priority access to advertising platforms.
Investigations revealed that such practices not only reinforce Google’s monopoly but also hinder innovation, increase advertising costs, and reduce publishers’ revenue.
Specifically, Google is accused of distorting auction mechanisms, using negative margins to drive out competitors, and imposing restrictions on publishers working with other platforms.
The Competition Bureau demands that Google sell two of its advertising tools, cease unfair practices, and pay a penalty for violating the Competition Act.
According to Matthew Boswell, Commissioner of Competition, these measures are necessary to restore fair competition for the benefit of Canadian advertisers, publishers, and consumers.
Previously, it was reported that Google plans to introduce a web monetization feature in Chrome, enabling users to make micropayments for accessing content on websites, paying for each page individually.
It also became known that Gmail is launching a new Q&A feature using AI Gemini on Android, which helps find and analyze emails, simplifying the search for relevant information in the inbox.