Belgian media group Rossel confirmed on Saturday that it had taken legal action against Google before the Paris Business Court, claiming €832 million in damages for anti-competitive practices in the advertising technology sector. The information, revealed by French media mind Media, was confirmed to Belga by Bernard Marchant, CEO of the group.
The proceedings, launched several years ago, follow a decision by the French Competition Authority in 2019, which condemned Google for abusing its dominant position in the advertising market. According to Marchant, the amount claimed was established with the support of Deloitte, on the basis of an assessment of the damage suffered by Rossel between 2014 and 2030. The group accuses Google of having imposed "forced intermediation" between Rossel and its customers, distorting prices and appropriating a significant proportion of the added value of advertising.
Google, for its part, requested a right of withdrawal and raised an irregularity in the press group's procedure, a strategy considered “very common” by Rossel's boss, who points out that Google often attacks the form rather than the substance of cases. This tactic has already borne fruit, notably in the RMC BFM case, where the complaint (against Google) was dismissed on procedural grounds, the court considering that the plaintiff was not the direct victim. In the Rossel case, Google's defence relates in particular to the composition of the plaintiff entities and the addition of subsidiaries during the investigation.
This legal action is part of a wider movement, with a dozen other French media groups and content publishers (including Le Figaro, Ouest-France, Les Echos-Le Parisien, M6, L'Équipe and Leboncoin) also suing Google on similar grounds. Rossel stands out, however, for the size of the amount claimed, linked to the scale of its advertising activities in Belgium and France.
A court decision is expected on 24 October. Whatever the outcome, the technology giant is likely to appeal, according to Bernard Marchant, which could prolong the proceedings for several years.
Rossel publishes Le Soir and Sudinfo in Belgium, as well as several titles in France, where it is the third largest regional daily press group. Last June, the group announced that it was merging with IPM, which publishes La Libre among other titles. By 2023, it had sales of €647 million.
