French media sue Google for $1.1B over advertising

Seven French media groups plan to sue Google seeking more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) for alleged anti-competitive practices in online advertising, a report said Friday.

Mind Media has reported that seven groups, representing 22 companies, have initiated or are about to initiate legal action against Google. This move follows a 220 million euro fine imposed by the French competition watchdog in June 2021, which found Google guilty of favoring its own services in the online advertising sector at the expense of competitors.

Marc Feuillee, CEO of Le Figaro, one of the plaintiffs, stated that his company had suffered from Google's anti-competitive practices and was seeking compensation. Other companies involved in the lawsuit include SIPA/Ouest-France, Prisma Media, Les Echos-Le Parisien, Adevinta/Leboncoin, CMA Media, and sports daily L'Équipe.

Initial court hearings to determine the trial schedule occurred in early September at the Paris commercial court, with proceedings expected to last two to three years.

Google is also facing similar investigations and legal challenges in the U.K., EU, and the U.S. In September, the U.K.'s competition authority provisionally concluded that Google’s practices were anti-competitive, potentially harming publishers and advertisers. However, Google’s Global Ads VP, Dan Taylor, has defended the company, calling the case based on "flawed interpretations." Google's parent company, Alphabet, recently reported strong ad revenue growth, with $48.5 billion earned in online ad searches in the second quarter of this year.