Google sued for abuse in online advertising market in Canada

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Canadian Competition Bureau has filed a lawsuit against the American corporation Alphabet, the parent company of the tech giant Google, over alleged abuses in the online advertising market, Azernews reports.

"The Competition Bureau is suing Google for interfering with free competition in the field of online advertising technology services in Canada. After a thorough investigation, the bureau has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal, seeking to correct the company’s practices in the interests of Canadian consumers and businesses," the document states.

According to the statement, following the investigation, the regulator found that, as the largest provider of advertising services in the Canadian internet market, Google “abuses its dominant position” to “restrict other market participants,” preventing them from competing fairly with the American giant. The regulator is demanding that Google divest two of its advertising tools—the DFP (DoubleClick for Publishers) server and the AdX advertising exchange—arguing that this move would foster greater competition and benefit the Canadian digital economy.

This lawsuit comes amid increasing global scrutiny of Google's market power, especially regarding its dominance in online advertising. Governments and regulators around the world, from the EU to the US and Canada, have been focusing on tech companies' monopolistic practices and their impact on smaller businesses. If the Competition Bureau succeeds in its case, it could mark a significant shift in the way digital advertising services are provided in Canada, potentially influencing similar cases in other markets.