files suit against Google, alleges unfair monopoly

Gannett Co., Inc., the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States, filed a federal lawsuit on June 20 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Google for monopolization of advertising technology markets and deceptive commercial practices.

The lawsuit seeks to restore competition in the digital advertising marketplace and end Google’s monopoly, which will encourage investment in newsrooms and news content throughout the country.

“Google has monopolized market trading to their advantage and at the expense of publishers, readers and everyone else,” said Michael Reed, Gannett chairman and chief executive officer. “Digital advertising is the lifeblood of the online economy. Without free and fair competition for digital ad space, publishers cannot invest in their newsrooms.”

According to the lawsuit, Google made upwards of $30 billion in revenue from the sale of ad space on publishers’ websites in 2022, which was six times the digital advertising revenue of all U.S. news publications combined.

“For more than a hundred years, Gannett has been a tireless advocate for freedom of the press empowering communities to thrive. This lawsuit seeks to ensure we can continue our mission for hundreds of years more,” said Reed.

In Arkansas, Gannett publishes the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith, plus weekly newspapers in Booneville, Charleston, Paris and Van Buren.

The full text of the complaint can be found at gannett.com/ wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-06-20-01-Gannett-v.-GoogleComplaint.pdf