Jennifer.Bell2…
Tue, 01/24/2023 – 19:25
Washington, D.C. – Congressmen Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, and David N. Cicilline (D-RI), senior Democratic member of the Antitrust Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the Department of Justice announced its civil antitrust suit against Google for allegedly monopolizing the digital advertising industry:
“Today’s historic lawsuit is an important step to hold Google accountable for allegedly monopolizing the digital advertising industry.
“As the Department alleges in its complaint, Google has engaged in a systemic pattern of expanding its dominance through harmful acquisitions, and has abused its market power through a series of anticompetitive practices, from manipulating auction prices and rules in its own favor to disadvantaging rivals.
“This market is concentrated, opaque, and unregulated. It is akin to Goldman Sachs owning the entire New York Stock Exchange, as Google’s own executives have allegedly observed.
“As a result, Google has the power to impose a hidden monopoly tax on businesses and siphon revenue from news publishers and other content creators, undermining the open internet and the vibrancy of the free and diverse press.
“The Justice Department’s complaint is a powerful reminder of the urgent need for fair rules for competition online through passage of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act.
“We applaud Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter and the Staff of the Antitrust Division for their tireless work to safeguard competition.”
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