Canada's Competition Bureau announced on Thursday that it decided to sue Alphabet Inc.'s Google over anti-competitive practices in online advertising and technology services in the country.
The antitrust watchdog explained that Google "unlawfully tied its various ad tech tools together to maintain its market dominance" and took advantage of "its position across these ad tech tools to distort auction dynamics." As a result, Google managed to strengthen its dominance, deter rivals from competing, drive up advertising costs, and lower publishers' profits, according to the Bureau.
In an application filed with the Competition Tribunal, the Bureau demands an order that requires Google to "sell two of its ad tech tools" and pay a penalty in order to "promote compliance with the Competition Act," according to the statement.