Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google used illegal methods to maintain its monopoly in online advertising technology. This is the second verdict against the company in a year for violating antitrust laws, Reuters reports.
The court ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by monopolizing the markets for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, which provide interaction between buyers and sellers of digital advertising. At the same time, the judge noted that the plaintiff failed to prove the existence of Google’s monopoly in the market of advertiser ad networks.
This ruling may allow radical measures to be demanded against the company, including the division of Google’s advertising business. The US Department of Justice has already stated that Google should sell at least its Google Ad Manager service, which includes an ad server for publishers and an ad exchange.
Thus, Google may be forced to sell assets or change its business practices. If the court approves such measures, it could significantly weaken Google’s position in the market.
During the trial, the plaintiffs argued that Google used classic methods of building a monopoly. For example, it eliminated competitors through mergers and acquisitions, blocked customers in its ecosystem, and controlled the course of transactions in the digital advertising market.
In its defense, Google stated that the claims relate mainly to when the company developed tools for interacting with competitors’ products. In addition, the defense argued that the prosecution ignored competition from tech companies such as Amazon and Comcast, especially as advertising spending shifted toward mobile apps and video streaming.
“Google’s actions are a story of innovation in response to competition,” said Karen Dunn, the company’s lead attorney.
This decision complements another verdict issued in August 2024, when a US federal court recognized Google as a monopolist in the search industry. The Department of Justice is now seeking to break up the company. Both cases and possible court injunctions against mergers and acquisitions could lead to significant structural changes at Google, limiting its influence on the online advertising infrastructure and reducing its overall influence on the web.