Canada Sues Google Alleging Anti-Competitive Practices In Online Ads

Canada's antitrust watchdog is suing Google for alleged anti-competitive conduct in its online advertising technology services in the country. The Competition Bureau said it had filed an application with the Competition Tribunal seeking an order that requires the software giant to sell two of its advertisement tech tools. The antitrust watchdog also requires Google to pay a penalty to promote compliance with the Competition Act. The company has 45 days to file its response with the tribunal.

In a statement released on November 28, the Competition Bureau said that an investigation found that Google had "abused its dominant position" as the biggest ad tech stack in Canada. "Google’s conduct locks market participants into using its own ad tech tools, prevents rivals from being able to compete on the merits of their offering, and otherwise distorts the competitive process," the statement added. Meanwhile, Google responded to this matter and said that the complaint "ignores the intense competition where ad buyers and sellers have plenty of choice."

Canada launched the investigation in 2020 to find out whether Google had engaged in practices that harm competition in the online ads industry. Earlier this year, authorities expanded the probe to include Google's advertising technology services. Notably, the Competition Bureau also investigated the tech firm in 2016 for alleged anti-competitive conduct relating to online search, search advertising and display advertising.