Justice Dept. sues Google over digital advertising dominance

By BARBARA ORTUTAY, ERIC TUCKER and FRANK BAJAK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department and eight states have filed an antitrust suit against Google. The suit seeks to shatter Google’s alleged monopoly on the entire ecosystem of online advertising as a hurtful burden to advertisers, consumers and even the U.S. government. The government alleges that Google’s plan to assert dominance has been to “neutralize or eliminate” rivals through acquisitions and to force advertisers to use its products by making it difficult to use competitors’ products. Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., says the suit “doubles down on a flawed argument that would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow.”