Google broke law by dominating online ad tech market, rules US judge

US court rules Google broke antitrust laws in ad tech market, paving way for possible breakup of its ad business. DOJ pushes for sale of key units like Google Ad Manager

Google was found guilty of unlawfully controlling key parts of the online advertising market, according to a ruling by a US federal judge on Thursday (April 17). The decision marks a major setback for the tech giant in an antitrust case brought by the US government.

 

Judge Leonie Brinkema, based in Alexandria, Virginia, observed that Google had unfairly held monopoly power in two critical areas: publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, which help connect advertisers with websites and apps. However, she noted there wasn’t enough evidence to prove Google had a monopoly in advertiser ad networks. 

 

The ruling paves the way for the US Department of Justice to push for the breakup of parts of Google's advertising business. The government has already proposed that Google should divest its Google Ad Manager, which includes both the ad server and ad exchange units.

 

Trial details and Google's response

 

The recent ruling follows a three-week trial that took place last year, led by the Justice Department and several US states. During the proceedings, government lawyers accused Google of using unfair tactics to maintain its dominance — such as acquiring competitors, locking customers into its ecosystem, and controlling the mechanisms of digital ad transactions. 

 

Google defended itself by arguing that the case placed too much emphasis on past behaviour. Its legal team claimed the company had taken steps to make its tools more open and compatible with other platforms. They also pointed to increasing competition from companies like Amazon and Comcast, particularly as ad spending shifts towards mobile apps and streaming services.

 

Google's ongoing legal challenges

 

This is not the only legal trouble Google is facing. A separate court in Washington is set to begin a trial next week, where the Justice Department is seeking major changes to Google’s search business — including the possible sale of the Chrome browser.

 

In the past, Google has reportedly considered selling parts of its advertising business to address competition concerns raised by European regulators.