Google and Facebook accused of limiting ad competition with ‘sweetheart’ deal
Google and Facebook colluded to undermine competition in advertising, according to documents uncovered by the New York Times. Obtained during an antitrust lawsuit in Texas, the documents lift the lid on ‘Jedi Blue’ – a cloak and dagger sweetheart deal between two tech giants that monopolize online advertising.
So what’s the deal?
Google and Facebook are accused of abusing their market position to strike a backroom deal to further their business interests.
The agreement is said to have seen Facebook win more favorable terms when bidding for advertising in return for its support for Google’s Open Bidding platform for selling adverts over header bidding – where advertising space is auctioned across multiple ad exchanges.
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This week s podcast discusses all forms of monetisation and provides ideas and guidance on how to maximise revenue for game developers. Khan will reveal why the games industry needs to look beyond in-app purchases as the de facto monetisation model for mobile games.
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By Ryan Tracy and Jeff Horwitz State attorneys general said in a lawsuit earlier this month that a 2018 business agreement between two digital advertising giants, Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc. s Google, was an illegal price-fixing deal. Lawmakers are calling for further investigation. The companies say it was above board. The Wall Street Journal viewed part of a recent unredacted draft version of the lawsuit, which elaborates on allegations in the redacted complaint filed in a Texas federal district court. Ten Republican attorneys general, led by Texas Ken Paxton, say Google gave Facebook special terms and access to its ad server, a ubiquitous tool for allocating advertising space across the web. This and other conduct by Google, they allege in the final lawsuit, harms competition and deprives advertisers, publishers and consumers of improved quality, greater transparency, increased output and/or lower prices.
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‘HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS’
NEW PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY TO LIMIT GATHERINGS TO 10 OR LESS. The Maryland Department of Health issued a public health advisory warning Marylanders against all non-essential activities and holiday gatherings with people outside one’s immediate household. Under this advisory, all Marylanders should refrain from attending public and private gatherings of more than 10 people in one location and should practice physical distancing to the maximum extent possible. Read the advisory.
EXPANDED TESTING AND QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAVEL. The governor issued an emergency order requiring Marylanders to limit all travel to essential purposes only. All Marylanders who do travel outside of Maryland or any individuals who do travel to Maryland must either obtain a negative COVID-19 test result or self-quarantine for 10
Facebook and Google agreed to help each other out if they came under antitrust scrutiny, lawsuit alleges
Facebook and Google agreed to help each other out if they came under antitrust scrutiny, lawsuit alleges
Isobel Asher HamiltonDec 22, 2020, 16:58 IST
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Vanity Fair
Last week a coalition of state attorneys general filed a heavily redacted
antitrust lawsuit against
Google over its ads business.
The Wall Street Journal obtained an unredacted draft of the lawsuit, revealing it alleges Google and
Facebook agreed to help each other if a deal they d struck ever faced antitrust scrutiny.