From “reclaimthenet.org”
A federal judge has determined that Google unlawfully cemented its dominance in online advertising technology, marking a significant development in a broader effort by US authorities to curtail the tech giant’s influence over the digital economy.
On Thursday, Judge Leonie Brinkema of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that the company violated antitrust laws by monopolizing parts of the online ad tech ecosystem. The decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department and a coalition of states, which accused Google of inflating advertising costs and collecting an outsized share of ad revenues through its control of critical advertising infrastructure.
We obtained a copy of the ruling for you here.
The legal challenge centers on the intricate, largely unseen web of tools that determine which ads appear on websites and how revenue is distributed. The plaintiffs argued that Google’s stranglehold on this infrastructure allowed it to manipulate the process for its own benefit, disadvantaging competitors and publishers alike.
This judgment follows another antitrust ruling from last year when a different federal court found that Google held a monopoly in the online search market. That case, which is ongoing in Washington, could lead to dramatic structural changes, including a possible order for the company to divest parts of its business, such as the Chrome browser.
With Brinkema’s ruling, the stakes rise further. The Justice Department had already asked her court to consider forcing Google to spin off key parts of its ad technology operations, including assets like Google Ad Manager, which comprises both the company’s ad server for publishers and its ad exchange platform.
The verdict concludes a three-week trial in which federal prosecutors and state attorneys general sought to demonstrate that Google engaged in exclusionary tactics to dominate multiple segments of the digital advertising chain. These included acquiring rivals, restricting interoperability with competitors, and leveraging its existing dominance to control how ad transactions occurred.
Prosecutors argued that such behavior amounted to a deliberate strategy to suppress competition and secure Google’s supremacy across the digital ad market. During the proceedings, they also alleged that Google’s actions harmed publishers and advertisers by limiting choice and driving up prices.
Google defended its practices by suggesting the claims were outdated, asserting that its systems have evolved to better integrate with rival technologies. The company also pointed to the increasing competition from major firms like Amazon and Comcast as evidence that the market remains dynamic and contested, particularly with the growing emphasis on advertising in streaming and app-based environments.
Looking ahead to 2025, Google could face dual court-ordered mandates to restructure different aspects of its business, as the Washington trial prepares to address whether it must relinquish its grip on search-related services.
Earlier reports, including from Reuters, indicated that Google had previously contemplated selling portions of its ad business to satisfy regulatory concerns in Europe, foreshadowing the possibility of similar outcomes in the US.