A US judge has scheduled a trial in September to determine whether Google’s ad tech practices amount to a monopoly. The case centers around Google’s dominance of the ad server and its exchange, which has led to accusations of anti-competitive behavior.
As part of a proposed settlement, Google has offered two main remedies: sharing real-time bid data with rival platforms and eliminating unified pricing rules that required publishers to set minimum prices across all exchanges. These measures aim to increase competition in the ad tech market.
However, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) still believes a forced breakup of Google’s ad manager business is necessary to address concerns about anti-competitive practices. The DOJ argues that behavioral remedies alone cannot prevent Google from finding new ways to dominate the market.
A hearing was held last week, where both parties presented their proposals and discussed potential solutions. The trial will begin on September 22, with a five-month preparation period ahead of it. Factual discovery has started immediately, and detailed reports from each party are due by May 5.
Source: https://www.adexchanger.com/online-advertising/court-hearing-offers-a-sneak-peek-of-potential-remedies-for-googles-ad-tech-monopoly