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Judge Rules Google Illegally Monopolized Key Ad-Tech Markets

The decision marks Google’s second antitrust loss in a year, setting the stage for potential divestitures to restore competition.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled Google illegally monopolized the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets, violating antitrust laws.
  • The ruling clears the way for a remedies phase, where prosecutors may push for Google to divest parts of its ad-tech business, including Google Ad Manager.
  • The court dismissed claims that Google held a monopoly in advertiser ad networks, a partial win for the company.
  • Google plans to appeal the decision, stating it disagrees with the findings on its publisher tools while emphasizing competition in the market.
  • This is the second court ruling in under a year finding Google to be an illegal monopolist, following a 2024 decision regarding its search engine dominance.