Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) requested a U.S. federal judge on Monday to reject a Justice Department lawsuit saying the search giant improperly exploited its online advertising supremacy.
The government and eight states sued Google in January to force the sale of its ad management suite. Google denies wrongdoing.
“The United States has received more than two million documents from Google and taken over thirty depositions of Google witnesses,” the company stated in a court filing late Monday. As a result, plaintiffs cannot prove their antitrust damages.
Google claimed the lawsuit should be dismissed because the government erroneously defined the internet advertising market and omitted strong rivals like Facebook. In addition, the government’s assessment of Google’s ad exchange’s “more than 50%” market share fell short of the 70% needed to assert market dominance.
Google denied the government’s claim that its 10-year-old purchases of DoubleClick and AdMeld hurt competition. Nevertheless, antitrust regulators authorized both purchases.
Google requested a hearing on the dismissal.
U.S. Judge Leonie Brinkema hears the case.
In 2020, the Justice Department sued Google for breaching antitrust law to retain its search dominance. September sees the trial.
Antitrust enforcement has increased under Biden. But, besides Google’s litigation, it faces more merger difficulties.
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