Google will face damages claims of up to €25 billion euros ($25.4 billion) for its digital advertising practices in two lawsuits brought by a law firm on behalf of publishers in the U.K. and the Netherlands.
The U.K. case before the U.K. Competition Appeal Tribunal will seek damages for the loss of revenue from the sale of advertising space on the websites of news publishers and any other website supported by online advertising. The Dutch claim is open to all publishers affected by Google’s actions, and both lawsuits are funded by Harbour.
“It is time that Google owns up to its responsibilities and pays back the damages it has caused to this important industry. That is why today we are announcing these actions across two jurisdictions to obtain compensation for EU and UK publishers,” Damien Geradin of the law firm Geradin Partners said in a statement on Tuesday.
Google has condemned the pending lawsuits, saying it is cooperating meaningfully with publishers across Europe. The company described the lawsuits as speculative and opportunistic. A Google spokesman said the complaint will be vigorously fought as soon as it is received.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
