Canada files anti-competitive lawsuit against Google over ad tools

On Thursday, Canada filed an anti-competitive lawsuit against Alphabet Inc.'s Google, accusing the tech giant of illegal practices aimed at promoting its own online advertising tools.

Canada files anti-competitive lawsuit against Google over ad tools

The Canadian Competition Bureau, in a statement, claimed that Google abused its dominant market position to block competitors. "Google's conduct has prevented rivals from competing on the merits of their offerings, to the detriment of Canadian advertisers, publishers, and consumers," said Competition Commissioner Matthew Boswell. The Bureau argued that Google unlawfully bundled its advertising technology tools to maintain its dominance and distorted auction dynamics, which affect how ads are purchased.

Google rejects the allegations

The lawsuit, filed with Canada's Competition Tribunal, demands that Google be forced to sell two of its advertising tools, pay a penalty to ensure compliance with the Competition Act, and be prohibited from continuing anti-competitive practices. Google rejected the allegations, asserting that there is ample competition in the market and that it looks forward to defending itself in court. "Our advertising technology tools help websites and apps fund their content and enable businesses of all sizes to effectively reach new customers," stated Dan Taylor, Vice President of Global Ads at Google.