A Texas-led coalition of U.S. states, backed by Puerto Rico, is gearing up for an antitrust showdown with Google after a federal judge ruled that the tech giant must face their claims over its alleged monopolistic control of digital advertising.
On January 29, U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan dismissed Google’s attempt to have the case thrown out, rejecting the company’s arguments that the states lacked the standing to sue. Texas, along with 15 other states and Puerto Rico, filed the lawsuit in 2020, accusing Google of illegally cornering the digital ad market, particularly as the intermediary in online ad exchanges. The states claim that Google’s dominance has allowed it to artificially inflate prices, unfairly harming competitors and consumers.
While Google has denied any wrongdoing, the case is just one of several legal challenges the company faces. A trial is set to begin in March, though the possibility of a delay looms, as a related case in Virginia could influence the Texas litigation. That case, involving the U.S. Justice Department and additional state coalitions, focuses on Google’s advertising technology practices.
As these legal battles unfold, Google is also dealing with another significant antitrust case involving its search engine practices, with the U.S. Justice Department pushing for a major remedy—forcing the company to divest its Chrome browser. A trial for that case is slated for April.
