US DOJ Seeks Breakup of Google's Ad Tech Monopoly in Federal Court

The U.S. Department of Justice is engaged in a significant legal battle with Google over the company’s dominance in the digital advertising market, specifically targeting its ad exchange platform, AdX. The DOJ argues that Google’s monopoly harms competition and seeks structural remedies including forcing Google to sell AdX and to make its auction mechanisms open source, following a ruling that found Google holds unlawful monopolies in web advertising technology. Google contests these measures, proposing less drastic internal changes rather than divesting key assets, warning that forced sales could disrupt the industry without meaningful competitive benefits. This trial is part of a broader regulatory crackdown on Big Tech, which also includes Amazon facing accusations of deceptive practices in its Prime subscription process. The outcomes of these cases will have major implications for online advertising, consumer rights, and antitrust enforcement in the tech sector. Observers note the contrast in judicial approaches, with some judges favoring more cautious remedies while others endorse more aggressive actions to curb monopolistic behaviors.