Overview

• A U.S. federal judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized two critical digital advertising markets: publisher ad servers and ad exchange platforms.
• The court found Google leveraged restrictive contracts and technological integration between its DFP and AdX tools to entrench its market dominance over more than a decade.
• The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by the Department of Justice and several states, accused Google of monopolistic practices across three online advertising markets.
• Judge Leonie Brinkema has given Google seven days to propose a schedule for corrective measures, which could include divestitures of advertising assets like Google Ad Manager.
• Google intends to appeal the decision, claiming its advertising tools benefit publishers and advertisers, while regulators prepare for potential structural remedies.