New York State Suing Google, Could Destroy The Company As We Know It

New York State is suing Google. If NY wins the lawsuit, Google, as we know it, could be destroyed. Attorney General Letitia James recently filed a lawsuit against the digital company.

Why Is New York State Suing Google?

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To stop Google’s anticompetitive practices and order it to sell off various ad tech tools.

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New York State, a coalition of seven other states, and the United States Department of Justice are suing the company for allegedly monopolizing the digital advertising industry. The seven other states joining in the lawsuit are California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia. The lawsuit claims that over the past 15 years, Google has used its power and size to reduce competition in the ad tech industry. The company is accused of lowering innovation and harming digital publishers, advertisers, and consumers.

What Will Happen To Google If New York Wins The Lawsuit?

New York and the coalition want to stop Google's anti-competitive practices. If they win, Google could be forced to sell off its ad tech tools to reduce its size and foster competition. The suit aims to end Google’s "unfair advantage in the industry." In 1974, the DOJ filed an anti-trust lawsuit against AT&T. In 1982, the Bell System was forced to sell off its pieces. More recently, the Department of Justice sued Microsoft over its alleged monopoly and sought to break the company up. They ended up settling and Microsoft didn't sell off pieces of the company. Attorney General James said,

New York consumers and small businesses are paying the price of Google’s actions. When website publishers get less ad revenue because of Google’s monopolies, they have to either lower the quality of their website, or pass on costs to consumers. I am proud to partner with the Department of Justice and fellow attorneys general in pushing back against Google’s illegal actions. I will not allow companies, no matter how large or powerful, to take advantage of New York consumers or small businesses.

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