Judge: Google Broke Antitrust Law in Ad Tech

A U.S. federal judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets, using anti-competitive practices that harmed rivals, publishers, and consumers. This marks the second major antitrust defeat for Google in less than a year. However, the court dismissed claims that Google monopolized advertiser ad networks, partially siding with Google. The Justice Department is seeking significant remedies, including possible divestiture of parts of Google's ad tech business, with penalties and structural changes to be addressed in future hearings. Google plans to appeal the decision, which could have significant implications for the digital advertising industry. The case may substantially reduce Google's dominance in online ad monetization.