Attorney General Morrisey Joins Bipartisan Multistate Lawsuit Against Google

CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey on Monday joined attorneys general from 16 states in a U.S. Department of Justice ongoing lawsuit against Google for allegedly monopolizing multiple digital advertising technology products.
 
The civil lawsuit, alleging violations of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. It alleges Google monopolizes key digital advertising technologies, collectively referred to as the “ad tech stack,” that website publishers depend on to sell ads and that advertisers rely on to buy ads and reach potential customers.
 
“We believe in a free market and this lawsuit is seeking to bring back digital advertising competition, a key element for consumers to make educated and rational decisions,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “A healthy free-market economy thrives on competition not in monopoly.”
 
As alleged in the complaint, over the past 15 years, Google has engaged in a course of anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct that consisted of neutralizing or eliminating ad tech competitors through acquisitions; wielding its dominance across digital advertising markets to force more publishers and advertisers to use its products; and thwarting the ability to use competing products.
 
In doing so, Google cemented its dominance in tools relied on by website publishers and online advertisers, as well as the digital advertising exchange that runs ad auctions. 
 
Attorney General Morrisey joined the lawsuit with attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
 
Read a copy of the lawsuit at: https://bit.ly/3A6zRXK.