Yelp has filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of abusing its dominant position in the search engine market to stifle competition and harm consumers, the company said.
“Google’s Anticompetitive Conduct Harms Consumers, Competition, and Advertisers,” said Yelp CEO
The antitrust lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that Google uses its general-search monopoly to unfairly promote its own local search and local search advertising products, hindering competitors like Yelp from reaching customers.
Yelp claims that Google’s self-preferencing practices give its own offerings an unfair advantage in search results, preventing consumers from seeing the best options available. This, according to the CEO of Yelp Jeremy Stoppelman, harms both consumers and businesses alike.
“Google’s Long History of Unlawful Conduct is Recognized Around the Globe,” said Yelp CEO
The lawsuit comes on the heels of a recent ruling against Google in a separate antitrust case, finding the company guilty of illegal practices to maintain its search engine monopoly. This ruling has opened the door for more lawsuits against Google, including Yelp’s.
Google has responded to the lawsuit, denying Yelp’s allegations and stating that it will vigorously defend itself. The company has faced similar accusations in the past, and its response to this latest lawsuit will be closely watched.
