Paris Court Orders Google to Pay €26.5 Million to Equativ in Advertising Dispute

The Paris Commercial Court mandated Google to pay €26.5 million to French advertising firm Equativ. The judgment stems from a lawsuit filed in 2022, where Equativ accused the tech giant of leveraging its own advertising tools to gain an unfair competitive edge, thereby inflicting financial harm on the French company, which also operates in the online advertising sector.

According to Euroactive, the court’s decision is influenced by a prior €220 million penalty imposed on Google by the French Competition Authority in 2021. This earlier ruling had already established that Google engaged in anti-competitive behavior within the digital advertising market. Equativ initially sought €369.1 million in damages on an international scale, but the court’s ruling confined the compensation to losses incurred in France, significantly reducing the potential payout.

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In response to the court’s verdict, Google expressed its dissatisfaction, pointing to what it termed “misinterpretations” of the advertising technology landscape. The company reiterated its commitment to addressing concerns raised by the Competition Authority. As of now, Google has not indicated whether it plans to appeal the ruling.

Meanwhile, Equativ has opted not to comment on the outcome of the case. The dispute underscores the increasing scrutiny by French regulators of the practices of major digital companies, highlighting ongoing concerns about competition within the online advertising arena.

Source: Euroactive