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Federal Judge Rules Google Illegally Monopolized Key Ad Tech Markets

The ruling marks Google's second major antitrust loss in under a year and opens the door for potential divestiture of its ad-tech assets.

People walk next to a Google logo during a trade fair in Hannover Messe, in Hanover, Germany, April 22, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo
FILE - A man walks past Google's offices in London's Kings Cross area, on Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Melley, File)

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema found Google guilty of monopolizing the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets for open-web display advertising.
  • The ruling allows prosecutors to seek structural remedies, potentially forcing Google to divest its Google Ad Manager platform, which includes its ad server and ad exchange tools.
  • Google plans to appeal the decision, arguing that publishers have alternative ad-tech options and that its tools are competitive and effective.
  • The judge dismissed claims that Google held a monopoly in the advertiser ad network market, citing insufficient evidence from antitrust enforcers.
  • This decision follows a separate 2024 ruling where Google was found to illegally monopolize the online search market, with a trial on search remedies set to begin next week.