Google Seeks Dismissal of UK Suit Over Alleged Anti-Competitive Practices

In a bid to fend off mounting legal challenges, Google’s parent company Alphabet has asked a London tribunal to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of exploiting its dominance in the online advertising sector. The case marks a new chapter in the ongoing scrutiny of Google’s business tactics and regulator concerns over possibly unfair competition practices.

The lawsuit, seeking damages totaling up to 13.6 billion pounds ($16.9 billion), was presented by a consortium of U.K.-based publishers of websites and apps who claim to have suffered financial setbacks due to Google’s alleged anti-competitive behavior. As reported by Reuters, lawyers representing the Ad Tech Collective Action have pressed the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) to greenlight the case for trial during a three-day hearing commencing on Wednesday.

Read more: UK Closes Collusion Case Against Google & Meta

Google has vehemently contested the allegations, arguing that the lawsuit lacks coherence and fails to explain how the alleged anticompetitive conduct has directly led to financial losses for the publishers. The tech titan’s legal counsel has pushed for the case’s dismissal, underscoring what they perceive as inadequate claims.

Robert O’Donoghue, representing the Ad Tech Collective Action, characterized the London lawsuit as the latest in a series of high-profile legal skirmishes centered around Google’s alleged preferential treatment practices. Notably, O’Donoghue pointed to previous multibillion-euro fines imposed on Google by the European Commission, citing violations related to the company’s online shopping search service and the compulsory pre-installation of Google Search and Chrome browser on Android mobile devices.

Source: Reuters