Google Requests Bench Trial in US Ad Tech Lawsuit, Filing Indicates

In a court filing submitted on Thursday, Google is requesting a bench trial in the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit accusing the tech giant of anticompetitive behavior in the online advertising market.
The Justice Department, which initiated the advertising lawsuit in January 2023, alleged that Google has exploited its dominance in the digital advertising sector and advocated for the company to divest its ad manager suite.
Google argued that the Justice Department’s plea for a jury trial deviates “from all historical precedent” and pointed out the department’s acknowledgment that the technical complexities involved might pose challenges for potential jurors to comprehend.
The Justice Department has not yet responded to the request for comment.
Google’s online advertising network, including ad manager, accounted for 12% of the company’s revenue in 2021 and is integral to its overall sales across search engine and cloud services.
Google contended that the Justice Department’s case extends “beyond the boundaries of antitrust law,” asserting that it lacks jurisdiction over the internet company’s contested conduct.