Google has received a mixed decision from a US district court in its advertising technology case with the US Department of Justice. The court rejected key parts of the DOJ’s case, finding that Google’s advertiser tools don’t harm competition and its acquisitions of DoubleClick and AdMeld were not anticompetitive. However, it agreed with the DOJ’s claims about one of Google’s publisher tools.
The mixed ruling affects Google’s advertising business, which accounts for the majority of its revenue. The court’s decision will have significant implications for Google’s ability to invest in new technologies like AI and cloud servers.
Google plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that it incorrectly suggests a company like theirs has a legal obligation to do business with competitors. The company believes it is strongly positioned to win its appeals case based on established Supreme Court precedent.
The mixed decision also highlights the growing scrutiny of Google’s ad tech products by regulators around the world. However, Google remains committed to providing solutions to publishers and advertisers in the highly competitive sector.
The court’s ruling may have implications for other companies like OpenAI, which benefits from the ongoing legal conflict between Google and the government. The rise of AI is threatening the heart of Google’s search business, with the government pressing its most sustained challenge to Big Tech power in nearly 30 years.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/04/18/google-reassure-employees-antitrust-ruling-memo