- A federal judge ruled Thursday that Google violated antitrust laws in the digital ad market. The decision could lead to a court-ordered breakup of parts of its business.
- A second trial will determine how Google’s advertising empire might be restructured, with Judge Leonie Brinkema considering possible divestitures.
- The case is part of a broader push to dismantle the dominance Big Tech has on multiple industries, with other lawsuits targeting Apple, Amazon and Meta over their market influence.
Full Story
A federal judge ruled Thursday, April 17, that Google violated antitrust laws in the online advertising market, a decision that could force the tech giant to break up parts of its business. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema of Virginia cited the Sherman Act in a 115-page decision finding that Google illegally monopolized the online advertising market.
Judge’s ruling could reshape Google
The ruling found Google unfairly dominated both the ad server and ad exchange markets, which connect advertisers with publishers looking to sell space.
“In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web,” said Brinkema.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Google disagrees with the ruling
Google reacted to the ruling in a statement to The Associated Press, saying, “Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective.”
Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president of regulatory affairs at Google, said they disagree with the Court’s decision and are preparing to appeal the ruling.
Not the first lawsuit against Google
The case stems from a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department and a coalition of states in 2023, which accused Google of abusing its dominance in digital advertising. Federal prosecutors argued that the company should be forced to sell off its Ad Manager platform and Chrome browser, key tools in marketing its ad products.
The ad technology case centers on a suite of tools powering the online advertising ecosystem. Google’s platform automates auctions that decide which ads appear when users visit websites like news outlets or blogs, a system that brought in $31 billion during 2023.
At the center of the lawsuit is Google’s $3.2 billion acquisition of DoubleClick in 2008, which prosecutors argue allowed the company to dominate the ad-selling software market.
“For over a decade, Google has tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange together through contractual policies and technological integration, which enabled the company to establish and protect its monopoly power in these two markets,” Judge Brinkema explained.
What happens next?
A second trial will determine how Google’s advertising business could be broken up and how to remedy the situation. Brinkema, who is overseeing the ad tech case, could also order structural changes.
The case marks another legal challenge for the tech giant. In a separate ruling in August 2024, a different federal judge found Google maintained an illegal monopoly in online search.
These lawsuits are part of a move by regulators to scale back Big Tech’s influence over digital markets, commerce and communication. The Justice Department has also sued Apple over anticompetitive conduct, while the Federal Trade Commission is pursuing Amazon and Meta, accusing Amazon of squeezing small sellers and Meta of buying out rivals like Instagram and WhatsApp.
If both courts ultimately side with the government, Google could be forced into a sweeping restructuring that reshapes its business and curbs its control of the digital ad industry.
