Privacy Daily is a service of Warren Communications News.

Court Denies Google’s Motion to Dismiss States' Suit Over Ad Practices

A federal judge questioned Google's privacy bona fides in a ruling Tuesday. The U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas denied Google's motion to dismiss a lawsuit that a Texas-led coalition of states brought alleging violations of antitrust laws and protections against unfair and deceptive trade practices.

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Google argued that the states lacked standing in the case. However, Judge Sean Jordan ruled otherwise. “Plaintiff States allege that Google’s deceptive conduct has stifled competition, increased prices, lowered the quality and quantity of goods and services, and has lured users to trust that Google is protecting their personal information -- when, in reality, Google is selling their information,” the judge wrote. “These allegations demonstrate that Google’s conduct has injured the economic well-being of Plaintiff States’ economies and residents and has affected substantial segments of their populations.”

Case 20-00957 began in December 2020 when a coalition of 16 states and Puerto Rico filed a complaint alleging that Google violated antitrust and consumer protection laws, including violating users’ privacy for its own benefit, through the search engine’s use of personal information for targeted advertising.

A trial is scheduled to begin at the end of March, according to a letter to Jordan filed on Tuesday. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.