Google ad practices under fire in new lawsuit

Ten

US states, led by Texas, are suing Google, accusing it of taking

illegal steps to preserve its monopoly over the online advertising

market.The alleged moves include striking a deal with Facebook to manipulate online advertising auctions, the states said.This is the latest legal complaint facing the tech giant, which is under pressure from regulators globally.Google rejected the claims, saying it would be "strongly" defending itself in court."We've

invested in state-of-the-art ad tech services that help businesses and

benefit consumers. Digital ad prices have fallen over the last decade.

Ad tech fees are falling too. Google's ad tech fees are lower than the

industry average," a company spokesperson said in response to

Wednesday's lawsuit. "These are the hallmarks of a highly competitive

industry."