Justice Department Launches Antitrust Lawsuit at Google, Says It "Corrupted Legitimate Competition"

EDITOR'S NOTE: This may be the first time* that the Biden Administration has done something correct and helpful to smaller businesses. Google has become to the Internet what the recent rain storms were to California and what Hurricanes Ian and Nicole were to Florida. It's time to bust the SOB up.

From THE WASHINGTON TIMES
by Ryan Lovelace

January 24, 2023: The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google on Tuesday that accuses the internet search giant of unlawfully bullying competitors that challenge its dominance in the digital advertising marketplace.

The lawsuit, which has the potential to break up Google’s massive advertising business, was joined by eight states including California, New York, Colorado and Virginia.

“One industry behemoth, Google, has corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising,” the lawsuit says. “Having inserted itself into all aspects of the digital advertising marketplace, Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary and unlawful means to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies.”

The Justice Department said Google’s anticompetitive conduct included acquiring competitors, forcing website publishers to use Google tools, and distorting and manipulating advertising auctions. The department accused Google of controlling nearly all tools used by web publishers to sell ads and controlling advertiser tools used to buy advertising inventory.

Google said the lawsuit is an attempt by the Justice Department to “pick winners and losers in the highly competitive advertising technology sector.”

“DOJ is doubling down on a flawed argument that would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow,” the company said in a statement.

To read the entire story on The Washington Times CLICK HERE

EDITOR'S NOTE #2: Google's response is absolute nonsense. It is Google that has picked winners and losers and not allowed a natural flow of consumer/reader traffic based on relevant content. Google interferes with free and fair reporting and criticism, they insert their subjective opinions written by Google staff nitwits, and they interfere with advertising revenue that should be going to Internet website owners. Google also uses these improper tactics with their subsidiary YouTube. Massive class action lawsuits should commence to rightfully restore to website publishers and video creators what must equal hundreds of billions of dollars in advertising revenue.

*As the old saying goes, "Even a broken clock is correct twice a day."

The Editor's Notes were written by Marc J. Rauch, Exec. Vice President/Co-Publisher of THE AUTO CHANNEL.