3:12 pm - January 13, 2026
- Penske Media alleges Google rigged ad auctions and suppressed publisher revenues
- The lawsuit builds on previous antitrust rulings and government challenges
- Industry peers echo concerns over Google’s market dominance and exclusionary tactics
Penske Media Corporation has sued Google in federal court in Manhattan, alleging the company illegally monopolises the digital advertising market and has deprived publishers of billions of dollars in revenue.
The case underscores mounting pressure on Google’s ad-tech business as publishers seek damages and structural remedies that could reshape how online advertising works.
According to a report by TheWrap, the complaint alleges Google rigged ad auctions, suppressed prices paid to publishers and excluded competitors by using its control of critical ad-tech components to favour its own exchange. Penske, publisher of The Hollywood Report, Rolling Stone and Variety, and its subsidiary SheMedia are seeking monetary damages and court-ordered changes to Google’s ad-tech operations at a jury trial.
At the centre of the lawsuit is what Penske describes as an inherent conflict of interest created by Google’s ownership of both the dominant publisher ad server and the leading ad exchange. Penske alleges Google allowed its exchange to see rivals’ bids before submitting its own, enabling it to win auctions while keeping prices artificially low.
The complaint says the practice depressed publisher revenues across the open web. SheMedia, which operates an ad network serving about 1,800 websites, says its publishers are particularly exposed because many rely heavily on programmatic advertising.
The suit builds on a broader government offensive against Google. In January 2023, the US Department of Justice and a coalition of state attorneys general accused the company of monopolising multiple ad-tech products through acquisitions, forced adoption and manipulation of auction mechanics, arguing those tactics distorted competition and harmed publishers and rivals.
That challenge gained momentum last year when a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, found Google had willfully engaged in anticompetitive conduct and ruled its ad-tech unit an illegal monopoly in open-web display advertising. The case is now in a remedies phase, a process that could influence the relief Penske seeks in Manhattan. R
Penske’s complaint echoes claims made by other publishers and ad-tech firms. Major news groups and independent platforms have previously accused Google of using its market power to squeeze publisher revenues, while ad-tech vendors such as PubMatic have alleged exclusionary conduct that prevented effective competition.
Beyond advertising, Penske has also challenged Google over its use of news content in AI-generated summaries. Forbes has reported that Penske and affiliated publishers say features such as AI Overviews have reduced referral traffic and affiliate revenue by aggregating content without authorisation, a claim Google has disputed.
Google has consistently denied that its ad tools are anticompetitive, arguing they increase efficiency and expand choice for advertisers and publishers.
- https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/public-policy-legal/penske-media-sues-google-digital-ad-market-monopoly/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/public-policy-legal/penske-media-sues-google-digital-ad-market-monopoly/ – Penske Media Corp., publisher of brands like Rolling Stone and Variety, has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging the tech giant’s illegal monopolisation of the digital advertising market, depriving publishers of billions in revenue. The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, accuses Google of rigging digital ad auctions, suppressing publisher payments, and excluding competitors. Penske Media and its subsidiary SheMedia seek monetary damages and court-ordered changes to Google’s ad-tech business. The complaint highlights Google’s conflict of interest in controlling both the dominant publisher ad server and leading ad exchange, allowing it to gain unfair advantages in auctions.
- https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-google-monopolizing-digital-advertising-technologies – On January 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice, along with several state Attorneys General, filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for monopolising multiple digital advertising technology products in violation of the Sherman Act. The complaint alleges that Google engaged in anticompetitive conduct, including acquiring competitors, forcing adoption of its tools, distorting auction competition, and manipulating auction mechanics to insulate itself from competition, depriving rivals of scale and hindering the rise of rival technologies.
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/04/17/google-adtech-antitrust-case/ – A federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, ruled that Google’s advertising technology unit is an illegal monopoly. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema found that Google had willfully engaged in anticompetitive acts to acquire and maintain monopoly power in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets for open-web display advertising, marking a significant blow to Google’s regulatory challenges.
- https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/6/20/us-news-chain-gannett-sues-google-alleges-online-ad-monopoly – Gannett, a major U.S. news chain, has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging the company monopolised the online advertising market. This lawsuit adds to the legal pressure on Google, which is already facing similar actions from regulators in the European Union and the United States, highlighting the global scrutiny of Google’s advertising practices.
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymeek/2025/09/14/why-rolling-stone-owner-penske-media-just-declared-war-on-google/ – Penske Media Corporation (PMC), owner of publications like Rolling Stone, has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of abusing its dominance in search to coerce publishers into allowing Google to use their content in AI Overviews. The lawsuit claims this practice has caused significant financial harm, with PMC’s affiliate revenue falling by more than a third due to Google’s AI Overviews diverting traffic that would have otherwise gone to PMC’s sites.
- https://pubmatic.com/pubmaticvgoogle/ – PubMatic has filed a lawsuit against Google over digital advertising monopoly, following a U.S. District Court ruling from April 2025 that found Google illegally obtained and maintained monopolies in markets related to digital ad buying and selling. The court held that Google’s exclusionary conduct substantially harmed publisher customers, the competitive process, and consumers of information on the open web, depriving rivals like PubMatic of the ability to compete.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is fresh, with the lawsuit filed on January 12, 2026, and reported by TheWrap on the same day. ([thewrap.com](https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/public-policy-legal/penske-media-sues-google-digital-ad-market-monopoly/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
No direct quotes are present in the provided text, indicating original content.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
TheWrap is a reputable entertainment industry publication. However, cross-referencing with other reputable sources is recommended for comprehensive verification.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims align with ongoing antitrust actions against Google, including the 2025 federal court ruling in Virginia that found Google unlawfully monopolized key parts of the ad-tech market. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2025/04/17/google-ad-tech-monopoly-antitrust-ruling?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, original, and aligns with recent developments in antitrust actions against Google. The source is reputable, and the content is accessible without paywalls or distinctive content types. No significant issues were identified.
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