The lawsuit mirrors the U.S. Justice Department’s landmark antitrust case against Google over its advertising business practices—a case that resulted in a federal judge’s ruling in April that Google operated an illegal monopoly in two adtech markets: ad exchanges and ad servers. That case is entering its remedies phase next week, where Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia will determine what changes Google must make to end its monopoly and restore fair competition.
Google rejected Magnite’s allegations wholly.
“These allegations are meritless. Advertisers and publishers have many choices, and when they choose Google’s ad tech tools it’s because they are effective, affordable, and easy to use,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to ADWEEK.
Magnite is the third major SSP to hit Google with an antitrust complaint within the last two months. In August, OpenX alleged that “rigged” digital ad auctions unlawfully disadvantaged Google competitors and left publishers, advertisers, and consumers with less choice—a story first reported by ADWEEK. Just weeks later, another similar complaint was filed by PubMatic. All three lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
OpenX CEO John Gentry said in a statement that while he won’t comment on the specifics of ongoing legal proceedings, “it is a fact that there are now several SSP lawsuits against Google.” He added that OpenX is committed to “ensuring fair competition.”
A spokesperson for PubMatic told ADWEEK: “PubMatic’s litigation seeks to restore a competitive and fair adtech ecosystem for the benefit of the entire industry. We welcome others in the industry joining this effort to hold Google accountable for its anticompetitive practices, which limited monetization opportunities for publishers, raised costs for advertisers, and ultimately reduced choice for consumers.”
Across the pond, Google is facing additional pressure from the E.U. Earlier this month, the company was hit with a $3.5 billion fine for antitrust violations stemming from its adtech business.
In its case, Magnite is seeking monetary damages as well as injunctive relief, or mandates that would require Google to modify its behavior. The company is represented by Washington D.C. law firm Kressin Powers. Legal representatives at Kressin Powers did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Update Sept. 16, 3:59 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include a statement from PubMatic.
