Things aren’t looking good for Google. After facing pressure over its Android and Chrome dominance, the tech giant may now have to break up its advertising business too. A US court has ruled that Google illegally controlled key areas of the digital advertising market, using its power to take over tools and platforms that websites and advertisers rely on.
According to a report by Reuters, US District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, found Google guilty of “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in two key markets — publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. These tools help websites manage their ads and connect them with advertisers, allowing online platforms, including news sites, to earn revenue.
“In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web,” Brinkema was quoted as saying in the report.
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During the trial, Google’s lawyers argued that the case focused too much on Google’s past actions and didn’t consider other major players like Amazon in the ad tech space.
A second trial will be held to decide what actions Google must take. One possibility is selling off Google Ad Manager — a platform that includes Google’s ad exchange and publisher ad server.
It’s important to note that this is not the first time Google has been found guilty of monopolistic behaviour. Earlier, the company faced a similar judgment for dominating the online search market.
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