A group of more than 30 European media organizations has sued Google for €2.1 billion, seeking damages for lost revenue they say was caused by the search giant's anti-competitive advertising technology.
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The suit was filed on behalf of companies such as Germany's Axel Springer in the District Court of Amsterdam by the European law firms Geradin Partners and Stek.
The publishers claim that online publishing is less competitive as a result of Google's alleged misconduct. They argue that, but for Google's abuse of its market dominance, online advertising revenue would be higher and fees for adtech services lower.
The coalition's claims are based on the 2021 discovery by the French competition authority that Google favored its own advertising services in a way that harmed competitors. Google was fined €220 million as a result.
