News: Google to face US antitrust trial over digital ads in September

• A federal judge set a September 9, 2024, trial date for the U.S. lawsuit against Google, accusing digital advertising market monopolisation.
• The case, initiated in January 2023, alleges abuse of dominance, aiming to force Google to sell its ad manager suite.
• Google denies the claims, highlighting potential negative consequences on innovation, advertising fees, and small businesses.

On Monday, a U.S. federal judge scheduled a September 9, 2024, jury trial for the lawsuit against Google, accusing it of digital advertising market monopolisation and competition suppression. The lawsuit, initiated by the U.S. Justice Department and a coalition of states in January 2023, alleges that Google abused its dominance in digital advertising technology, aiming to force the company to sell its ad manager suite. Google denies these allegations, contending that a successful lawsuit would impede innovation, increase advertising fees, and hinder the growth of small businesses and publishers. While the Justice Department, Virginia, and other states sought a July trial date in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema cited logistical challenges in her order, resulting in the September trial date. Representatives for both Google and the Justice Department declined to comment on the trial date.

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This is not the only trial Google faces

Google is separately facing a March 2025 trial in a U.S. federal court in Texas, where a similar lawsuit from Texas and other states challenges the company’s ad tech practices.

Additionally, a third case is ongoing in Washington, D.C., where a U.S. judge is expected to hear closing arguments in May regarding lawsuits from the U.S. Justice Department, Colorado, and other states over Google’s dominance in web search. The company’s legal challenges highlight the ongoing scrutiny of its business practices and potential implications for the broader tech industry.