New pending documents from a state-led antitrust lawsuit against Google allege the search giant colluded with rival Facebook to manipulate online ad sales. The executives of both companies were aware of the deal and signed it, the lawsuit alleges.
The original lawsuit, redacted, filed in December 2021, defendant Google about “anti-competitive behavior” and partnering with the social media giant. But the unanswered version provides details on the Alphabet CEO’s involvement Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in approving the deal. Facebook has been there since renamed to Meta.
According to the lawsuit, Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg “made it clear that ‘this is a big strategic deal'” in a 2018 email sequence about the deal that included Facebook’s CEO. . suit, their title is displayed.
When the two sides worked out the terms of the settlement, “the team sent an email directly to CEO” Zuckerberg, the lawsuit states.
“We are almost ready to sign and need your approval to proceed,” the email read, according to the complaint. Zuckerberg wants to meet Sandberg and his other executives before making a decision, the lawsuit states.
In a statement, Google spokesman Peter Schottenfels said the lawsuit was “fraught with inaccuracies and lack of legal merit”.
In September 2018, the lawsuit said, the two companies signed an agreement. Sandberg, who was Google’s ad business manager, and Pichai personally signed off on the agreement, according to the states’ complaint.
A spokesman for Meta, Chris Sgro, said on Friday that the company’s ad-bidding agreement with Google and similar agreements it has with other bidding platforms “have increased competitiveness.” compete for ad placements”.
“These business relationships allow Meta to deliver more value to advertisers while fairly compensating publishers, leading to better outcomes for everyone,” Sgro said. .
Internally, Google used the code phrase “Jedi Blue” to refer to the 2018 agreement, according to the lawsuit. Google has kept this code phrase secret.
Google’s Schottenfels said the lawsuit’s allegation that Pichai approved the deal with Facebook was “inaccurate”.
“We sign hundreds of agreements every year without the CEO’s approval, and this is no different,” he said, adding that the deal “never remains a secret.”
The lawsuit is led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and joined by attorneys general Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Carolina , South Dakota and Utah.
Stay up to date with the latest from the Gadgets 360 Consumer Electronics Show, at CES 2022 center.
