A federal judge has ruled that Alphabet Inc.’s Google will have to face an antitrust lawsuit filed by a coalition of U.S. states, including Texas, accusing the tech giant of monopolizing the digital advertising sector. U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan, based in Plano, Texas, denied Google’s motion to dismiss the case on Tuesday, allowing the legal battle to proceed.
According to Reuters, the lawsuit was originally filed in 2020 by Texas, alongside 15 other Republican-led states and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. The plaintiffs argue that Google has violated antitrust laws by maintaining an illegal monopoly over digital advertising exchanges, where online display ads are bought and sold. The states contend that Google’s control of this key market has enabled it to artificially inflate prices, harming competition and consumers.
Per Reuters, Judge Jordan’s decision rejected Google’s argument that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue. Google, based in Mountain View, California, has consistently denied the allegations and has not responded to requests for comment. The company faces several other legal challenges related to the lawsuit.
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A lawyer representing Texas expressed satisfaction with the ruling, highlighting the judge’s “careful consideration of the law and facts,” according to Reuters.
The coalition of states involved in the lawsuit includes Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah. The trial is currently set to begin in March, though discussions are underway to potentially delay the proceedings until summer. This delay would be contingent on the outcome of a related case in Virginia, where the Justice Department and a coalition of states have brought a separate lawsuit against Google over its advertising technology practices.
Source: Reuters