Google, however, maintains that its adtech offerings benefit European publishers. The company's legal director, Oliver Bethell, described the lawsuit as "speculative and opportunistic," and stated that Google's advertising tools help millions of websites and apps fund their content. The lawsuit comes amid a media crisis characterized by declining online traffic to news websites, shifting ad budgets, corporate layoffs, and other factors. Google has had a contentious relationship with news organizations for years, with previous lawsuits dating back to 2006.
Key takeaways:
- A group of over 30 European media organizations has sued Google for €2.1 billion, claiming lost revenue due to Google's alleged anticompetitive advertising technology.
- The lawsuit is based on the 2021 finding by the French competition authority that Google favored its own advertising services in ways that harmed competitors, and Google was fined €220 million as a result.
- Google maintains that its adtech offerings benefit European publishers and will vigorously oppose the lawsuit, calling it speculative and opportunistic.
- Google is reportedly paying some publishers to use an unreleased suite of generative AI tools designed to produce content, but the company insists these tools are not intended to replace journalists and cannot do so.