Federal Judge Rules Google Holds Digital Ad Monopoly Favoring Publishers

A New York federal judge ruled in favor of online news publishers and advertisers, including Gannett and the Daily Mail, in an antitrust case against Google, finding that Google unlawfully monopolized the digital advertising market by controlling key technologies used for ad placement. Judge P. Kevin Castel granted partial summary judgment, preventing Google from relitigating findings of anticompetitive behavior previously established by Judge Leonie Brinkema in a separate Justice Department case in Virginia. The Virginia ruling had determined that Google maintained its monopoly by leveraging its publisher ad server and ad exchange platforms, harming competition and publishers. This legal principle, known as issue preclusion, means Google must accept these findings as true in the New York case, streamlining the litigation process. While the ruling is a significant legal victory for the plaintiffs, some commentators note that recent remedies proposed against Google have been modest, and the company continues to wield substantial influence in digital advertising and search markets. The court decisions underscore ongoing scrutiny of Google’s dominance but also highlight challenges in enforcing more transformative antitrust remedies.