Penske Media Sues Google Over Accusation of Digital Ad Market Manipulation

Penske Media Corp., the publisher of entertainment and culture brands including Rolling Stone, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, sued Google on Monday, accusing the tech giant of illegally monopolizing the digital advertising market and depriving publishers of billions of dollars in revenue.

Filed in federal court in Manhattan and obtained by TheWrap, the lawsuit alleges Google used its dominance to rig digital ad auctions, suppress prices paid to publishers and shut out competitors. Penske Media and its subsidiary SheMedia seek monetary damages and court-ordered changes to Google’s ad-tech business in a jury trial.

Penske Media says Google creates a conflict of interest by controlling both the dominant publisher ad server and the leading ad exchange used to buy and sell online display advertising. According to the complaint, Google gave its own exchange unfair advantages by allowing it to see rivals’ bids before submitting its own, enabling Google to win auctions…