but Google ads are successful because their targeting allows you to put the right ads in front of the right eyeballs. It's way cheaper to run a targeted ad campaign than buy up a bunch of billboards on a busy freeway. It's also more effective because people can click through and buy right away. All the ads are sold on an auction basis, so their price is directly connected to their utility to the buyer. I fail to see how the ad buyer is harmed.
This is from the suit and is pretty damning, at least to my non lawyer eyes.
"In the end, Facebook curtailed its involvement with header bidding in return for Google giving Facebook information, speed, and other advantages in the auctions that Google runs for publishers’ mobile app advertising inventory each month in the United States. In these auctions, Facebook and Google compete head-to-head as bidders. Google’s internal codename for this agreement, signed at the highest-level, was REDACTED a twist on the character name from Star Wars. The parties agree on for how often Facebook would publishers’ auctions—literally manipulating the auction with for how often Facebook would bid and win."
> "REDACTED a twist on the character name from Star Wars."
If I were a betting man, I'd think it was something like "Fando Calrissian" or something akin to that; FAN from Facebook Ad Network and Lando because of the famous "I'm altering the deal; pray I don't alter it any further" dialogue between him and Vader.
