Canada’s Antitrust Watchdog Sues Google Over Alleged Ad Tech Dominance

TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s Competition Bureau announced on Thursday that it is suing Google for alleged anticompetitive conduct in the company’s online advertising operations. The bureau claims that Google has unlawfully tied its ad tech tools to maintain dominance, stifling competition and innovation while increasing costs for advertisers and reducing revenues for publishers. The lawsuit, filed with the Competition Tribunal, seeks to compel Google to divest two key services: DoubleClick for Publishers (a publisher ad server) and AdX (an ad exchange platform). The bureau estimates that Google controls 90% of the market for publisher ad servers, 70% for advertiser networks, 60% for demand-side platforms, and 50% for ad exchanges. Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell stated that Google’s practices have locked market participants into its ecosystem, excluded competitors, and distorted fair competition. The case is expected to have significant implications for online advertising in Canada as regulators attempt to curb Google's influence in the sector.