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A new class action lawsuit in the UK is demanding that Google pay £5 billion (€5.83 billion) to British advertisers, accusing the tech giant of inflating prices and forcing companies to rely on its search ads. The lawsuit claims that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, abused its dominance in the search and advertising markets, leaving UK businesses with few alternatives. Professor Or Brook from the University of Leeds leads the case, arguing that Google blocked competitors and manipulated the digital advertising space to its benefit.

Google’s Alleged Dominance and Price Inflation

The class action alleges that Google’s market practices left British businesses with no genuine choice but to use Google’s search ads, despite the inflated costs. According to Professor Or Brook, who is spearheading the lawsuit, Google intentionally excluded competitors and manipulated access to its advertising services. Brook claims that Google’s conduct not only forced UK companies into overpaying for ad visibility, but also harmed the overall competitiveness of the digital advertising space.

The lawsuit focuses on businesses that purchased Google ads from January 2011 through to April 2025. Brook insists the objective of the case is to recover lost revenue for thousands of UK firms that were forced to bear excessive advertising costs due to Google’s market manipulation. The legal action highlights that Google earned £14 billion (€16.35 billion) from search advertising in 2023 alone.

Monopoly Tactics: Google’s Alleged Anti-Competitive Deals

The suit also points to specific deals Google allegedly struck to maintain its monopoly in search advertising. One key allegation is that Google paid Apple billions of dollars to ensure that its search engine remained the default on the Safari browser. This deal, the lawsuit suggests, was part of a broader strategy by Google to dominate the search market and artificially raise advertising prices.

Further allegations claim that Google forced phone manufacturers to pre-install its Chrome browser and Google Search on Android devices. By securing these exclusive deals, Google allegedly gained an unfair advantage, limiting access for competitors and driving up ad prices. The lawsuit argues that these practices harmed not only advertisers but the broader market by stifling innovation and competition.

Global Scrutiny and Legal Pressure on Google

This legal challenge comes as Google faces increasing scrutiny around the world over its business practices. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has recently launched its own investigation into whether Google’s actions unfairly control both the search and advertising markets.

This follows a similar action taken by Japan, where the country’s authorities ordered Google to halt anticompetitive practices for the first time ever. Japanese regulators took action after alleged violations of the country’s antitrust laws, signaling a growing global effort to rein in Big Tech’s market power. Legal experts suggest that the UK lawsuit could set a precedent for similar legal actions in other jurisdictions in the near future.

The rising global pressure on Google underscores the increasing concerns about the company’s influence in the digital advertising space and its impact on market fairness. With regulators worldwide now targeting Big Tech firms, the outcome of the UK class action could have significant implications for the future of digital advertising and competition.

The UK class action lawsuit represents a major challenge to Google’s advertising practices, with Professor Or Brook seeking justice for thousands of UK businesses allegedly forced to overpay for digital advertising. As Google faces increasing legal scrutiny both in the UK and internationally, the outcome of this case could mark a turning point in the battle over market fairness and competition in the tech industry. The lawsuit serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to hold Big Tech accountable for its influence on global markets.