Google Sued for $6.6 Billion in UK Over Alleged Search Ad Monopoly
Google is facing a massive $6.6 billion class-action lawsuit in the United Kingdom, accused of abusing its dominance in the online search market to overcharge advertisers and stifle competition.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, was brought by competition law scholar Or Brook on behalf of hundreds of thousands of UK-based organizations. These businesses allegedly overpaid for Google search advertising services from January 1, 2011, to the present.
Brook is being represented by Geradin Partners, a law firm known for taking on major tech companies in competition law cases.
“This class action is about holding Google accountable for its unlawful practices and seeking compensation on behalf of UK advertisers who have been overcharged,” Brook said.
Brook’s claim is built on mounting regulatory scrutiny from around the world. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) previously found in a 2020 report that Google earned 90% of all search advertising revenue in the country.
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The lawsuit accuses Google of:
- Entering exclusive deals with smartphone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome on Android devices.
- Paying billions to Apple to ensure Google remains the default search engine on Safari.
- Offering superior functionality on its own ad tools, like Search Ads 360, compared to competing platforms.
- Google: “Speculative and Opportunistic” Lawsuit
- Google has pushed back strongly against the allegations.
“This is yet another speculative and opportunistic case,” a Google spokesperson told CNBC. “Consumers and advertisers use Google because it’s helpful, not because there are no alternatives.”
The tech giant plans to “argue against it vigorously,” maintaining that its ad tools provide value and choice in the market.
What’s Next?
If the case proceeds, it could result in significant compensation for UK advertisers and set a precedent for future legal action across Europe. It also further intensifies regulatory scrutiny on Google’s business practices, as similar cases are mounting in the U.S., EU, and Australia.
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The case underscores growing global concern over the power of Big Tech and the lack of competition in digital advertising — an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Kosta Gushterov
Reporter at Coindoo
Kosta has been a part of the team since 2021 and has solidified his position with a thirst for knowledge, incredible dedication to his work and a "detective-like" mindset. He not only covers a wide range of trending topics, he also creates reviews, PR articles and educational content. His work has also been referenced by other news outlets.
