OTTAWA, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Canada's antitrust watchdog said on Thursday it had obtained a court order to gather information and advance an ongoing investigation into Google's online advertising services in the country.

The Competition Bureau Canada opened an investigation in 2020 to probe whether the Alphabet-owned search engine giant had engaged in practices that harm competition in Canada's online ads industry.

It has now expanded that investigation to examine Google's advertising technology services and if the U.S.-based firm was using predatory pricing, the bureau said in a statement.

The court order was granted by the Federal Court of Canada and requires Google to produce records and information relevant to the bureau's investigation, according to the statement.

A spokesperson for Google said the firm "will continue to engage constructively with the Canadian Competition Bureau and demonstrate the benefits of our products to Canadian businesses and consumers."

"Canadian businesses choose to use our advertising products because they're effective and reliable at helping them reach their customers and grow," the spokesperson said in an email.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Andrea Ricci)