Harbour backs UK and Dutch claims against Google over digital advertising practices

Harbour is backing parallel claims of up to 25 billion euros against Alphabet Inc unit Google in the UK and the Netherlands on behalf of publishers who have allegedly suffered harm from Google’s anti-competitive conduct in relation to ad tech.

The suits allege that Google deprived publishers of billions of revenues through anti-competitive conduct, namely that it used its publisher ad servers by favouring its own ad exchange and used its ad exchange to favour its publisher ad server. The British claim at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal , including traditional publishers, while the Dutch collective claim is open to EU publishers affected by Google’s actions.

Geradin Partners, which will lead the damages actions, has teamed up with Dutch law firm Stek and UK litigation law firm Humphries Kerstetter. The team also includes economics experts from Charles River Associates, as well as barristers from Monckton Chambers and David Wingfield and Fountain Court Chambers.

Damien Geradin, founding partner of Geradin Partners, commented:

“Publishers, including local and national news media who play a vital role in our society, have long been harmed by Google’s anticompetitive conduct. It is time that Google owns up to its responsibilities and pays back the damages it has caused to this important industry. That is why today we are announcing these actions across two jurisdictions to obtain compensation for EU and UK publishers.”

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