THREAD: (1) While with the Texas complaint the world is discovering the extent of Google's depravity in ad tech, @DimKatsifis and I had already uncovered most of these practices in a series of articles, which we hope will get further attention.

(2) In a first paper from December 2018, we explained how Google had engaged in a variety of discriminatory practices to the detriment of rivals, as well as charged hidden fees to the detriment of advertisers and publishers. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3299931

(3) Then, in October 2019, we debunked Google's arguments that its switch to a unified auction had addressed the concerns we expressed in our first paper. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3465780

(4) In May 2020, Google hired consultants to challenge our findings and submitted their rebuttal paper to the ACCC (which is also looking into Google's behavior in ad tech): https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Google%20-%20Report%20from%20Daniel%20Bitton%20and%20Stephen%20Lewis%20%285%20May%202020%29.pdf

(5) We found the criticisms made on our paper extremely weak (if not misleading) and produced in June 2020 a detailed response which we submitted to the ACCC. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3617839

(6) We also expressed our concerns about Google's decision to phase out third-party cookies on Chrome, not because we are opposed to privacy but because this move could further harm competition in ad tech markets. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3541170

(7) We further substantiated these concerns in a detailed paper analysing the Google's Privacy Sandbox (interestingly, the CMA is now looking into the Sandbox)
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3738107

(8) What is truly new in the Texas complaint is the collusion between Google and Facebook to undermine Header Bidding and distort competition in Open Bidding. That is a Section 1 office that could put these companies in very sertious trouble.

(End) Now, multiple competition authorities are looking into ad tech and more bad practices are likely to be identified.