Magnite Sues Google Over Antitrust Violations

By Bobby Samwell • Tuesday, September 16 15:53 • Permanent Link

Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI) has taken a significant step by filing a lawsuit against Google in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. This legal action comes in the wake of a U.S. District Court ruling in April 2025, which determined that Google had "willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts to acquire and maintain monopoly power" in the ad exchange and ad server markets.

The lawsuit seeks financial damages and other remedies, with Magnite alleging that Google's dominance in open-web display advertising has stifled growth, innovation, and investment in the industry for over a decade. The complaint outlines Google's exclusionary practices, which aimed to lock publishers into its ad server and prioritize its own exchange, ultimately depriving independent players like Magnite the opportunity to compete fairly and grow their businesses.

In response to these developments, Michael Barrett, the CEO of Magnite, emphasized the company's commitment to supporting publishers and promoting healthy competition, ongoing innovation, and value creation for the ecosystem as a whole.

Notably, Magnite is represented in this litigation by Kressin Powers LLC. This move underscores the company's determination to address what it perceives as unfair practices in the industry.

As a leading independent sell-side advertising company, Magnite provides technology for publishers to monetize their content across various screens and formats, including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The platform facilitates billions of advertising transactions each month, with the world's leading agencies and brands relying on it to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory.

This legal action marks a significant development in the ad tech industry, as Magnite aims to challenge what it views as Google's anticompetitive behavior and seek remedies for the alleged harm caused to publishers, advertisers, and partners. Today the company's shares have moved -2.72% to a price of $23.085. For more information, read the company's full 8-K submission here.

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