Milestone in damages action against Google on behalf of publishers

The European Commission (EC) has sent a Statement of Objections to Google. The EC is concerned that Google may have illegally distorted competition in the online advertising technology industry (“Adtech”). At the current stage of the investigation, the EC believes that Google’s conducts may amount to an abuse of a dominant position by favouring its own adtech services. Should the EC conclude that Google acted in an illegal manner, it might require Google to divest part of its services.

This story will continue, but it is another milestone in our joint actions (together with GERADIN PARTNERS and Humphries Kerstetter LLP in the UK) against Google.

Stek Competition Litigation team will bring a damages action in the Netherlands (covering the EEA) on behalf of large publishers that have suffered harm as a result of Google’s anti-competitive conduct in the market for digital advertisement. As established in 2021 by the French Competition Authority, Google abused its dominant position by engaging in various forms of self-preferencing in its advertising tools (Adtech). This conduct in breach of Article 102 TFEU started in 2014 and caused damage to publishers that lost revenue from the sale of advertisement in the digital space.

For more information please read:

the press release of the EC;
the remarks by Executive Vice-President Vestager and
Reuters