A US judge has ruled that Alphabet’s (Google) holds illegal monopolies in two online advertising technology markets, clearing the way for antitrust prosecutors to seek a breakup of its ad products. The ruling comes as Google faces another trial over search and could lead to the company selling off parts of its business.
Judge Leonie Brinkema found Google liable for “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in markets for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, which sit between buyers and sellers. These platforms are used by websites to store and manage digital ad inventory, allowing news publishers and other online content providers to make money by selling ads.
The decision harms Google’s customers, the competitive process, and consumers of information on the open web, according to Brinkema. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) failed to prove one of its claims that Google had a monopoly in advertiser ad networks.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the ruling “a landmark victory” for protecting free speech and free markets from tech companies. Google will appeal the decision and will have to sell off parts of its business, potentially including its Ad Manager tool.
The judge rejected claims about Google’s acquisitions but found that the company unlawfully tied publishers’ use of its exchange product to using its ad server and enacted anticompetitive policies that were not in its publisher customers’ best interests.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-judge-finds-google-holds-illegal-online-ad-tech-monopolies-2025-04-17