Google faces EUR 25 billion in damages claims in two lawsuits to be filed by publishers in the coming weeks. According to a report, the Alphabet-owned company will face action in a Dutch court and the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal over the company’s digital advertising practices. Google has recently come under scrutiny from competition watchdogs across Europe, claiming publishers have an unfair advantage over rivals from its adtech business.
In the coming weeks, a law firm representing publishers will file two lawsuits against Google over digital advertising, according to the filing Report via Reuters. Publishers were previously aware of the firm’s adtech practices, which led to scrutiny from regulators in Europe.
According to reports, the company will face action in two jurisdictions to seek compensation from publishers in the UK and Europe.
In the coming weeks, cases will be filed in Dutch courts and the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Both lawsuits will be funded by litigation funder Harbor — the Dutch lawsuit will cover publishers affected by Google’s digital advertising business, while the UK lawsuit will seek compensation for news publishers and ad-supported sites’ revenue, according to reports.
Google’s latest antitrust issues in Europe follow previous reports that the company is facing scrutiny over its adtech practices from both the European Commission and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK.
