Website Owners Harmed by Google’s Illegal Monopoly of Advertising Services Encouraged to Contact the Firm

If you are a website owner (sometimes referred to as a “publisher”), you may have been harmed by Google, Inc.’s unlawful monopoly of advertising services. Website owners are those providing any content on a webpage accessible to the public, part of which is devoted to advertising that the owner is paid to receive and display to internet users. In sum, the owner sells advertising space on its website. For example, news organizations display ads along with news reports and other content features. Bloggers similarly may accept ads in exchange for payment, as may all manner of online organizations, including product sellers or advocacy groups. Google may have violated federal antitrust laws by extending its dominance in the internet search market to the market for DISPLAY advertising, thus enabling Google  to “under-pay” website owners when they deliver ads for placement on the owner’s website.

If you are a website owner who, between 2016 and the present, has (1) used Google’s advertising services to display digital advertisements on your site and (2) been paid by Google, you may have been injured by this unlawful conduct. To date, Google's conduct in the advertising market has drawn the scrutiny of Congress (multiple hearings have been held as part of an ongoing investigation) and federal and state enforcement agencies. Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Google, alleging that the defendant engaged in illegal conduct under federal antitrust laws and seeking financial compensation for individuals and companies that were forced to overpay Google. For a free consultation to discuss the specifics of your case, please contact the Labaton Sucharow attorneys listed below. We can provide an evaluation of the merits of your case and explain how you can get involved in a class action against Google.

Robin A. van der Meulen
rvandermeulen@labaton.com 
212-907-0754

Veronica Bosco
vbosco@labaton.com
212-907-0883