Google asks judge to toss out DOJ advertising antitrust case

Google requested a judge dismiss the Department of Justice's advertising-related antitrust lawsuit, one of its first efforts to free itself from federal scrutiny of its advertising practices.

Google argued in a Monday filing that the lawsuit, which the DOJ filed with the backing of eight states in January, adopts a far too narrow definition of online advertising. The agency's definition ignores all relevant competitors and fails to meet the necessary thresholds for an alleged monopoly, Google argued in its filing.

The DOJ's lawyers "characterize Google's every business decision over the past 15 years as evidence of a long-term scheme to amass power and choke out competition, ignoring the competitive pressures and customer interests driving Google in a dynamic and multi-sided digital marketplace," Google argued. Google previously attempted to have the case moved from Virginia courts to New York, but that request was denied.