Overview
- The cases were filed in Manhattan federal court this week, with Vox Media suing Wednesday following similar complaints from The Atlantic on Tuesday and Penske Media on Monday.
- The suits allege Google illegally tied its DFP ad server to its AdX exchange, depressing prices for publisher inventory and shutting out competing ad-tech firms.
- The Atlantic’s complaint describes internal programs such as Project Bernanke and “Last Look,” alleging Google used bid-level data and a hidden “slush fund” to manipulate auction outcomes.
- An internal analysis cited in The Atlantic’s filing says Project Bernanke alone could reduce a publisher’s revenue by upwards of 40%, with AdX allegedly winning by matching rivals’ bids by a penny.
- Google says the allegations are meritless and that publishers have many choices, as a pending remedies decision in the DOJ case could impose conduct limits or even force divestitures in its ad-tech business.