Google in legal tussle over $17 bn UK lawsuit triggered by adtech practices

Online vertising good practices: Google’s parent company Alphabet, is facing a legal tussle in London as it seeks to do away with a lawsuit alleging anticompetitive practices in online vertising market. lawsuit, which seeks damages of up to £13.6 billion ($16.9 billion) on behalf of UK-based website and app publishers, accuses Google of abusing its dominance in sector.
During a three-day hearing at Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), lawyers representing Tech Collective Action argued for case to proceed to trial, citing Google's alleged anticompetitive behavior as cause of financial losses for publishers. However, Google countered by asserting that case lacked coherence and failed to equately demonstrate how its conduct h resulted in losses for publishers.
This legal tangle occurs amidst ongoing regulatory scrutiny into Google's tech business by authorities such as Britain's Competition and Markets Authority and European Commission. Tech Collective Action's lawyer highlighted previous fines imposed on Google by European Commission for similar anticompetitive practices.
Google is simultaneously facing legal challenges in United States, with lawsuits filed by Department of Justice and various states accusing tech giant of anticompetitive behavior.
Google has outrightly denied allegations against it, reaffirming that its impact on tech industry has been overwhelmingly beneficial and procompetitive. Despite Google's defence, lawsuit marks anor high-profile legal battle for a tech giant at CAT, following recent cases against Facebook parent Meta and Apple.

(With Reuters inputs)