Newspaper firm launches class action suit versus Google, Facebook over ad revenue

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in General Discussion edited February 2021
West Virginia's HD Media has filed an antitrust complaint against Google and Facebook, claiming that they conspired to monopolize digital advertising and so endanger local newspapers.

Google News on iPhone
Google News on iPhone


Despite Google recently announcing it would pay $1 billion to news publishers, a newspaper company has filed what it says is the first antitrust suit against Google and Facebook over digital advertising. HD Media, which publishes seven newspapers, accuses the two companies of entering into a secret agreement.

According to Editor & Publisher Magazine, the suit specifies that this secret agreement, codenamed "Jedi Blue," manipulated online advertising auctions. It also claims that Google's monopolization of the digital advertising market is threatening local newspapers across the US.

"The freedom of the press is not at stake," the suit reportedly says. "The press itself is at stake."

"We invite every other newspaper in America to join this cause," HD Media managing partner Doug Reynolds told Editor & Publisher Magazine. "We are fighting not only for the future of the press but also the preservation of our democracy."

Google's separate $1 billion offer concerns its planned Google News Showcase project. Begun in Brazil and Germany, the project has expanded to Android users across Australia, the UK, Canada and more.

It offers packages of news stories coupled to video and graphics content. Google says the aim is to introduce readers to news outlets that they may then subscribe to.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    GeorgeBMacgeorgebmac Posts: 11,421member
    Meanwhile Australian media are taking the same approach but from the opposite end -- saying that Google owes them for publishing their information on Google searches.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 7
    Xedxed Posts: 3,124member
    GeorgeBMac said:
    Meanwhile Australian media are taking the same approach but from the opposite end -- saying that Google owes them for publishing their information on Google searches.
    That could have merit, but this class action doesn't. The buggy whip maker has no grounds against Ford for obsolescing their product.
    dewmewatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 7
    GeorgeBMacgeorgebmac Posts: 11,421member
    Xed said:
    GeorgeBMac said:
    Meanwhile Australian media are taking the same approach but from the opposite end -- saying that Google owes them for publishing their information on Google searches.
    That could have merit, but this class action doesn't. The buggy whip maker has no grounds against Ford for obsolescing their product.

    I'm not sure that either is legitimate -- except to lawyers -- then pretty much any lawsuit is legitimate.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 7
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,735member
    GeorgeBMac said:
    Meanwhile Australian media are taking the same approach but from the opposite end -- saying that Google owes them for publishing their information on Google searches.
    Not just Google but any search provider (Bing, DDG, etc) who surfaces news snippets as a search result. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 7
    Xedxed Posts: 3,124member
    gatorguy said:
    GeorgeBMac said:
    Meanwhile Australian media are taking the same approach but from the opposite end -- saying that Google owes them for publishing their information on Google searches.
    Not just Google but any search provider (Bing, DDG, etc) who surfaces news snippets as a search result. 
    Right. There is a long history of not being able to recreate and use another's IP without consent, but all search engines do that constantly and to an excessive degree. At least when you upload your content to FB and Instagram you have to first agree to terms that include giving up rights to what you submit, but I see none of that with search engines grabbing every single piece of information they can from my web servers for their personal gain.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 7
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,313member
    Xed said:
    gatorguy said:
    Meanwhile Australian media are taking the same approach but from the opposite end -- saying that Google owes them for publishing their information on Google searches.
    Not just Google but any search provider (Bing, DDG, etc) who surfaces news snippets as a search result. 
    Right. There is a long history of not being able to recreate and use another's IP without consent, but all search engines do that constantly and to an excessive degree. At least when you upload your content to FB and Instagram you have to first agree to terms that include giving up rights to what you submit, but I see none of that with search engines grabbing every single piece of information they can from my web servers for their personal gain.
    Google's News clips bring a lot of traffic to these news sites.  Which is why they still complain when Google stops showing any new clips.  By the way, any site can add a simple ROBOT.TXT file and 100% stop Google or anyone else going to their site and grabbing anything.  ZERO, NADA, Nothing!!!  Why don't they do it?  Because they want Google to grab those clips and also for Google to pay for them.  So they want Google to pay for it and drive customers to their own site.  They want it both ways.

    https://backlinko.com/hub/seo/robots-txt

    edited February 2021
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobragatorguy
     1Like 0Dislikes 2Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 7
    Xedxed Posts: 3,124member
    jbdragon said:
    Xed said:
    gatorguy said:
    Meanwhile Australian media are taking the same approach but from the opposite end -- saying that Google owes them for publishing their information on Google searches.
    Not just Google but any search provider (Bing, DDG, etc) who surfaces news snippets as a search result. 
    Right. There is a long history of not being able to recreate and use another's IP without consent, but all search engines do that constantly and to an excessive degree. At least when you upload your content to FB and Instagram you have to first agree to terms that include giving up rights to what you submit, but I see none of that with search engines grabbing every single piece of information they can from my web servers for their personal gain.
    Google's News clips bring a lot of traffic to these news sites.  Which is why they still complain when Google stops showing any new clips.  By the way, any site can add a simple ROBOT.TXT file and 100% stop Google or anyone else going to their site and grabbing anything.  ZERO, NADA, Nothing!!!  Why don't they do it?  Because they want Google to grab those clips and also for Google to pay for them.  So they want Google to pay for it and drive customers to their own site.  They want it both ways.

    https://backlinko.com/hub/seo/robots-txt

    They absolutely do bring traffic and awareness, but it should be an opt-in system, not an opt-out system.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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