If so, and provided other criteria are met, your company may be entitled to compensation.
This case, In re Google Digital Advertising Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 1:21-md-03010 (PKC), is a consolidated antitrust action. The litigation brings together multiple lawsuits originally filed by online publishers, advertisers and others into a multidistrict litigation.
The Plaintiffs allege that Google LLC violated federal antitrust laws by monopolizing and unlawfully restraining competition in key segments of the digital advertising technology market, including:
Ad servers for web publishers, which facilitate the display of advertisements on websites;
Ad exchanges, which operate as digital marketplaces connecting advertisers and publishers;
Advertiser tools that help buyers participate in online advertising auctions.
According to Plaintiffs, Google used a series of acquisitions, contractual restrictions, and self-preferencing tactics to suppress competition, extract supra-competitive fees, and foreclose rivals from fair participation in the digital ad ecosystem. Specific allegations include unlawful tying of Google's publisher ad server (Google Ad Manager) to its ad exchange (AdX), manipulating auctions in its own favor, and using confidential bidding information from competitors to advantage its own systems.
The lawsuit asserts that these practices harmed publishers by reducing the prices they received for advertising inventory and harmed advertisers by inflating the prices paid for ad space. Plaintiffs seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and structural remedies to restore competition in the digital advertising markets.
Google denies all allegations of wrongdoing.
All persons and entities that placed a display advertisement on a third-party website using Google Ads for the period January 1, 2016, through the present (the “Class”).
Excluded from the Class are: (1) Google and its officers, directors, legal representatives, and wholly or partly owned subsidiaries or affiliated companies; (2) class counsel and their employees; and (3) the judicial officers and their immediate family members and court staff assigned to this case.
NOTE: This proposed class differs from the class proposed in the Consolidated Advertiser Complaint, which would have included any advertiser that placed a display ad using any of Google’s products (e.g., DV360). The class proposed in this motion is limited to Google Ads users, which is narrower than the class proposed in the CAC.
January 1, 2016, through the present
All persons and entities that placed a display advertisement on a third-party website using Google Ads between January 1, 2016, and the present.
“Display advertisements” refer to visual ads (such as banners, rich media, etc.) shown on websites in Google's Display Network.
“Third-party websites” means websites not owned by Google (e.g., news sites, blogs, forums, etc.).
“Using Google Ads” refers to advertisers that used Google’s ad buying tools, including the self-service Google Ads platform (formerly AdWords), to purchase display inventory.
These class members are primarily:
Small businesses, agencies, and individuals who used Google Ads to advertise on websites like CNN.com, ESPN.com, or niche content sites.
Corporate advertisers running large-scale display campaigns via Google Ads (not DV360 or other advanced platforms, unless explicitly included later).
In re: Google Digital Advertising Antitrust Litigation
Case Number: 1:21-md-03010
Court: New York Southern District
Multi-district Litigation, Class Action
Judge: P. Kevin Castel
Disclaimer
Class members are not required to sign up with any third-party service in order to participate in the monetary relief, but may instead file their claim directly with the Class Administrator, once appointed. No-cost assistance will be available from the Class Administrator and Class Counsel during the claims-filing period, once established. For additional information class members may visit court approved website for this case, once established.
Please note this website and its contents are not substitutes for legal advice. Nothing in this website should be construed as legal advice. Class Action Settlement House, LLC works with companies to assist them in the filing of claims in various class action settlements. However, Class Action Settlement House, LLC is not a law firm and cannot provide legal representation or legal advice. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact counsel of your choice to obtain legal advice.
(727) 436-2274