Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Belgian media group Rossel seeks €832 million from Google over alleged anti-competitive ad practices. Verdict in Paris court postponed to December 8, 2025; CEO Bernard Marchant involved.
As Nieuwsblad News reported, the legal case between Belgian media group Rossel and American tech company Google is set to continue, with a Paris court postponing its verdict until December 8, 2025. Rossel confirmed on Friday, Oct 24, 2024.
Rossel publishes leading Belgian newspapers such as Le Soir and Sudinfo. It is also the third-largest regional newspaper publisher in France, with titles including La Voix du Nord. The group is seeking €832 million in damages, claiming Google engaged in anti-competitive practices that harmed publishers and the media market.
What is behind Rossel’s €832M case against Google?
Rossel says Google forced an illegal intermediary between publishers and advertisers. The company claims that this system allows Google to control ad prices and take a significant share of advertising revenue.
The legal dispute between Belgian media group Rossel and Google has been ongoing for several years. In 2019, the French competition authority found that Google abused its dominant position in online advertising. Rossel says this allowed Google to impose an illegal intermediary between publishers and advertisers, taking a large share of revenue.
The media group filed a claim for €832 million, covering losses from 2014 to 2030, including both past and future damages. The case has drawn attention across Europe because it could influence how media companies and tech giants share advertising revenue.
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