RALEIGH — North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced on April 17 he had filed a bipartisan antitrust lawsuit against Google alleging consumers had been harmed due to the tech giant’s “15-year monopoly in digital advertising technology.”
“Healthy competition improves quality, reduces costs, and spurs innovation,” Stein said in the release. “The law requires Google to fight fair, and I’m fighting to make sure it does and to improve competition for North Carolinians.”
The complaint is joined by the U.S. Department of Justice and attorneys general from 16 additional states and the District of Columbia.
“Google’s plan has been simple but effective: (1) neutralize or eliminate ad tech competitors, actual or potential, through a series of acquisitions; and (2) wield its dominance across digital advertising markets to force more publishers and advertisers to use its products while disrupting their ability to use competing products effectively,” the complaint reads.
