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Google accused of monopoly in online advertising: federal judge’s ruling

A federal judge rules that Google has acquired monopoly power in the digital advertising market, with potential repercussions for the tech giant

A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, has ruled that Google has monopolised the online advertising market. The ruling concerns an ongoing case between the US Department of Justice and the tech giant, accused of engaging in anti-competitive practices in the digital advertising sector.

The judge ruled that Google had taken ‘a series of deliberately anticompetitive actions to acquire and maintain monopoly power in the markets for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges for open web display advertising’. The case, which began in early 2023, revolves around Google’s role as a broker in the sale of online advertising to newspapers and others in the industry.

The Justice Department has accused Google of ‘rigging the auction rules’ to harm publishers, advertisers and consumers by distorting the functioning of the advertising market. Data from eMarketer, cited by the Washington Post, show that Google has a 25.6% market share of digital advertising in the US, followed by Meta (21.3%) and Amazon (13.9%).

The ruling could have major repercussions for the tech giant, forcing it to review its strategies to ensure greater respect for competition. However, a possible appeal by Google could further prolong the proceedings and postpone the practical effects of the decision.

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