Lawsuit alleges digital advertising practices violate U.S. antitrust and consumer-protection laws Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) the largest publisher in the United States including USA TODAY and over 200 local publications, today filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Google for monopolization of advertising technology markets and deceptive commercial practices. The lawsuit seeks to restore competition in the digital advertising marketplace and end Google’s monopoly, which will encourage investment in newsrooms and news content throughout the country. As more Americans read the news online, publishers depend on digital advertising revenue to provide timely, cutting-edge reporting and content that communities across the country rely on. Google’s practices have depressed revenue and impacted local newsrooms adversely by monopolizing the markets for important software and technology products that publishers and advertisers use to buy and sell ad space. Google controls 90% of the market...
In 2022, Google made upwards of $30 billion in revenue from the sale of ad space on publishers’ websites which was six times the digital advertising revenue of all U.S. news publications combined, according to a statement by Gannett.
Given how much Gannett is to blame for newspaper consolidation and the resulting shitshow, this feels more like a “let them fight” at best.
Gannett: My actions have disastrous consequences. We should sue Google!