Anticompetitive practices: The millionaire lawsuit Google is facing

More than thirty European media groups, such as Spain, Norway and Belgium, agreed to sue one of the most important global technology companies.

The plaintiffs requested from the multinational a compensation of 2.1 billion euros for the economic damages suffered by their media due to anti-competitive practices on advertising rights.

This lawsuit against Google was brought before the Amsterdam District Court, arguing that the search engine engaged in anti-competitive behavior due to the implementation of the technology used to manage third-party advertising.

The companies pointed out that, due to the implementation of this type of technology, they would have incurred huge economic losses and, consequently, their revenues “would have been substantially higher in the absence of the anti-competitive behavior”.

In this context, we believe that the outlook is particularly relevant for the future of the most important international digital advertising platform. Thus, in the event that the use of the technology is qualified as anti-competitive, Google could find itself faced with the need to modify its practices.

This scenario, in turn, could trigger significant transformations in the dynamics and functioning of the digital advertising industry.

In this sense, the resolution of the case will be particularly relevant, although it is true that there is a call for self-regulation in advertising law in most Western countries, considering the size and position of Google.

Undoubtedly, it will set a precedent regarding the eventual sanctions that this type of practices could receive from regulatory entities.

At az Tech, we maintain our firm commitment to innovation and technological innovation, always keeping our focus on safeguarding and anticipating the possible needs of our clients, thus creating strategic solutions in an ever-changing scenario.

For more information on these topics, please contact our IP, Tech and Data team:

Eugenio Gormáz | Partner | egormaz@az.cl

Antonia Nudman | Senior Associate | anudman@az.cl

Carlos Lazcano | Senior Associate | clazcano@az.cl

Fernanda Rodríguez | Associate | frodriguez@az.cl

Esteban Orhanovic | Associate | eorhanovic@az.cl