Thread by @matthewstoller

So a different way to characterize what Google was doing to publishers is 'stealing.' Sorry to get all technical about it. wsj.com/articles/googl…

"Google pocketed the difference between what it told publishers and advertisers that an ad cost and used the pool of money to manipulate future auctions to expand its digital monopoly.”

Or, you know, stealing.

https://twitter.com/matthewstoller/status/1482521793135009792

"The documents cite internal correspondence in which Google employees said some of these practices amounted to growing its business through “insider information."

So, then like, that's stealing.

"It affected billions of ad impressions sold each month and Google’s research found that it dropped publishers’ revenue by as much as 40%, according to the complaint. “Bernanke is powerful,” one Google employee said, according to internal company communications."

Yes these are alleged violations of antitrust law, but the real teeth in the complaint are the alleged violations of various state laws against deceptive conduct. texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/…