The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has won a major antitrust lawsuit against Google, with a federal judge ruling that the company illegally maintained monopoly power in key segments of the digital advertising technology market.
The case, heard in Virginia, marks one of Google’s biggest legal defeats in recent years, following another antitrust case related to its dominance in web search.
Google’s Ad Tech Monopoly Ruled Illegal
In a detailed ruling, Judge Leonie Brinkema found Google liable under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, stating that the company “willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts” to dominate two crucial ad tech markets:
- Publisher ad servers
- Ad exchanges
The court concluded that Google’s strategy of tying these tools together through contracts and tech integration substantially harmed publishers, advertisers, and users on the open web.
“For over a decade, Google has tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange together… to establish and protect its monopoly power,” Judge Brinkema wrote.
What Google Is Saying
Google disagreed with the court’s decision and plans to appeal. According to Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s VP of Regulatory Affairs:
“We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half… Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable, and effective.”
The court dismissed monopoly claims regarding Google’s advertiser tools and ad network, including the company’s acquisition of DoubleClick, which the DOJ argued helped entrench its dominance.
Data Deletion Concerns and Sanctions
The judge also criticized Google for failing to preserve internal communications, noting that an internal chat tool used by employees deleted important records. While this could have warranted sanctions, the judge said the available testimony and evidence were sufficient to rule on the case.
What’s Next?
The ruling could have significant implications for how Google operates its ad business in the U.S. It comes as Google prepares for the remedies phase of its separate Search antitrust trial in Washington, DC, where the DOJ is seeking to break up parts of Google’s business, including possibly spinning off its Chrome browser and forcing Google to share search results with rivals.
This case underscores the growing global pressure on tech giants like Google to reform their market practices and face real competition especially in high-stakes areas like digital advertising and search.