Google And Facebook Sued By US Newspaper

OVERVIEW

A lawsuit against Facebook and the parent company of Google, Alphabet has been filed by a United States-based news organization. It has been alleged that both of them dominate the digital advertising market which adversely affects an important source of revenue.

HD media operate several newspapers like Charleston Gazette-Mail and The (Huntington) Herald-Dispatch.

In the lawsuit, it has been argued that both these tech giants constitute a digital monopoly that needs to break.

It has also been professed in the complaint that Google and Facebook have violated antitrust laws in the United States by aiming to integrate their dominance of the digital advertising market, manifesting a secret pact codenamed “Jedi Blue” to influence online auctions.

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS?

HD Media which has filed the complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia argues that Google and Facebook have hogged the digital advertising market by which a primary source of revenue for newspapers across the country gets subdued.

The lawsuit states that the press itself is at stake if both these tech giants continue to control the freedom of the press.

This complaint was when Australia is also planning to make a new law which will ask Google and Facebook to pay for displaying news.

AUSTRALIAN LAW

Australia aims to introduce a landmark legislation which will force Google and Facebook to pay publishers and broadcasters for content.

Google has called that legislation unworkable.

Director of government affairs and public policy for Google in Australia and New Zealand, Lucinda Longcroft has stated that the company had proposed certain amendments to a Senate enquiry but they were not accepted.

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