Google ad tech class action launched in Australia

A class action was filed on 16 December 2024 in the Federal Court of Australia in respect of Google’s misconduct in the digital advertising space. The action is brought on behalf of Australian domiciled website and app publishers who have, it is alleged, suffered financial losses as a result of Google abusing its dominant position in the adtech supply chain.

Google has established a dominant position in the market for digital advertising through the deployment of various tools and platforms on both the supply and demand sides of the marketplace. It is alleged in this action, and also in other actions and investigations being brought globally in jurisdictions including the US, Canada, the Netherlands and France, that Google has been self-preferencing its own ad tech services to the financial detriment of those selling advertising space (publishers).

Anyone, or any business, who has owned a website or app and sold advertising space using Google’s ad tech tools can join the action as a group member. Their participation in the action will be confidential (i.e. it will not be known to Google) and fully funded by Woodsford.

Group members will be legally represented by Piper Alderman, as well as benefiting from the insights of a team of other specialists assembled by Woodsford.

Woodsford’s Chief Investment Officer, Charlie Morris, commented:

“This class action follows numerous other class actions against Google in other jurisdictions regarding its infringement of competition laws in relation to AdTech. This action aims to hold Google to account for its misuse of market power and compensate website and app publishers for the consequences of Google’s misconduct. Working closely with economists, we have determined that Australian website and app publishers have been earning significantly less revenue and profits from advertising than they should have. We aim to right this wrong.”

Greg Whyte, a partner at Piper Alderman, added:

“This class action is of major importance to publishers, who have suffered as a result of Google’s practices in the ad tech monopoly that it has secured.  As is the case in several other jurisdictions around the world, Google will be required to respond to and defend its monopolistic practices which significantly competition in the Australian publishing market.”

Please visit the website www.googleadtechaction.com.au to register.

For the full press release click here.

For more information you can contact David Haughan.