US Federal court rules Google illegally monopolized digital ad market

A U.S. federal court delivered a significant blow to Google on Thursday, ruling that the tech giant illegally maintained monopoly power in the digital advertising market, marking the company’s second recent antitrust defeat.

Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court determined that Google had “engaged in a series of anticompetitive practices” spanning more than a decade to dominate publisher ad server and ad exchange products.

“For over a decade, Google has tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange together through contractual policies and technological integration, which enabled the company to establish and protect its monopoly power in these two markets,” Brinkema wrote in her ruling.

The judge further stated that “Google further entrenched its monopoly power by imposing anticompetitive policies on its customers and eliminating desirable product features.”

The court found Google liable under both Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act, the cornerstone of U.S. antitrust law. Judge Brinkema also noted in her decision that Google had deleted internal employee messaging unless an employee specifically activated “chat history.”

This ruling follows another recent antitrust loss for Google in a separate case related to its search business, intensifying regulatory pressure on the company.

The Justice Department’s victory represents a significant development in the government’s ongoing efforts to rein in the market power of major technology companies.