Google UK Class Action Lawsuit: How Will Search Dominance Impact the Case?

Google is in hot water in the UK as it faces a whopping £7 billion class action lawsuit, equivalent to about $8.8 billion, over allegations of manipulating search results to the detriment of consumers. The UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has given the green light for the case to proceed, adding to Google’s legal woes across the globe.

This lawsuit, spearheaded by consumer rights advocate Nikki Stopford since September 2023, claims that Google’s unfair practices have driven up advertising costs on its platform, ultimately leading to higher prices for millions of consumers in the UK. The lawsuit points fingers at Google for allegedly coercing Android phone manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Google Chrome, a practice that has already faced scrutiny from the European Union. It also raises concerns about Google paying Apple substantial sums to be the default search engine on Safari, a topic that recently landed Google in hot water in the US.

Stopford asserts that Google’s actions distort the search engine market, resulting in increased costs for advertisers, which are ultimately passed down to consumers. This legal action in the UK aims to foster healthier competition in digital markets and hold Google accountable.

Despite Google’s attempts to have the lawsuit dismissed, the CAT unanimously decided to move forward with the case. Google UK’s senior counsel, Paul Colpitts, maintains that the case is speculative and opportunistic, and they intend to defend against it vigorously. He emphasized that users choose Google because it is helpful, not because they lack alternatives.

Google is currently entangled in multiple legal battles, including a suit from the US Department of Justice that could potentially force Google to divest Chrome. In addition to suits from Epic Games and Yelp, Google faces further legal challenges from the DOJ concerning its advertising technology. The tech giant also recently failed to overturn a $2.7 billion antitrust fine in the EU.

It’s clear that Google’s legal battles are far from over, with this UK class action lawsuit adding to the tech giant’s growing list of legal woes.