PHOENIX–Attorney General Kris Mayes this week joined a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and seventeen states challenging Google’s anticompetitive behavior in the internet advertising technologies space.
“My office is firmly committed to fighting monopolistic abuses of market power,” said Attorney General Mayes. “Healthy competition in the digital marketplace improves the quality of products, reduces costs, and benefits consumers. I am proud to join the bipartisan coalition of States who have partnered with the Department of Justice to fight for fair competition in digital advertising.”
The complaint alleges that Google monopolizes critical digital advertising technologies that connect website publishers looking to sell advertising space on their websites with advertisers looking to reach potential customers. According to the complaint, Google has spent the last 15 years reducing competition in digital advertising by acquiring competitors, exerting its dominance to compel more publishers and advertisers to use Google products, and hindering the use of competing products.
In filing this complaint, Attorney General Mayes joins the U.S. Department of Justice and a bipartisan group of attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
Competition, Innovation & Privacy Unit Chief Robert Bernheim and Senior Litigation Counsel Jayme Weber are representing the State of Arizona in the case.