Publisher Gannett Sues Google, Alleges ‘Deceptive Scheme’ to Gain Online Ad Monopoly
Gannett, the largest US newspaper publisher, has filed a lawsuit against Google and its parent company Alphabet. The lawsuit alleges Google has participated in a ‘deceptive scheme’ to gain an illegal monopoly over the digital advertising space.
The lawsuit states, “Publishers are not suffering because readers demand less online content. Growing numbers of U.S. readers get their news online, and spending on online advertising to reach those readers has exploded. Rather, publishers do not see the growing ad spending because Google and its parent Alphabet unlawfully have acquired and maintain monopolies for the advertising technology (“ad tech”) tools that publishers and advertisers use to buy and sell online ad space.”
“Google controls how publishers sell their ad slots,
