
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from a South Carolina state agency challenging a Fourth Circuit ruling that compels compliance with a Google subpoena. The subpoena is part of a high-profile antitrust lawsuit accusing Google of monopolizing digital advertising technology.
As is standard, the Supreme Court did not provide any explanation for its refusal to take up the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s petition. This decision upholds the Fourth Circuit’s determination that the state waived its sovereign immunity by joining the ongoing ad tech litigation.
SC Google Subpoena rejection : Background on the Antitrust Lawsuit
South Carolina is among a coalition of states suing Google in a Texas federal court, alleging the tech giant has violated antitrust laws by dominating the market for display ad technology, which is used to place ads on third-party websites. This state-led litigation is separate from a similar antitrust case initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice and another group of states in a Virginia federal court, where a bench trial recently concluded.