Google advertising technology trial overview:
- Who: The Department of Justice asked a Virginia federal judge to dismantle Google’s alleged monopoly over the advertising technology market.
- Why: The DOJ claims Google’s alleged market dominance undermines competitors and traps consumers into using its ad server. Google argues its ad tech benefits advertisers, publishers and consumers.
- Where: The trial is in Virginia federal court.
The Department of Justice is challenging Google’s alleged stronghold over the market for online display advertising.
In a trial that began this month, the DOJ argues Google uses its alleged dominance over the market to undermine competitors and trap consumers into using its ad server, Law360 reports.
Google more or less forces website owners and publishers to use its ad server, according to the DOJ, which reportedly argues doing so allows the tech giant to charge more than 30 cents on the dollar for ad transactions.
“No matter how frustrated (website owners/publishers) are, they simply cannot walk away,” Law 360 reports that DOJ attorney Julia Tarver Wood told a Virginia federal judge.
The trial began about a month after a Washington, D.C., federal judge determined Google monopolizes the general search market and used exclusive distribution agreements that had anticompetitive effects.
DOJ accuses Google of ‘trifecta’ of monopolies in ad tech market
The DOJ called four witnesses to kick off the trial, including Gannett and multiple Google rivals, Law360 reports.
It reportedly argues Google monopolized the ad technology market through its DoubleClick for Publishers ad server, its servers for advertisers and its AdX exchange, which the DOJ says pairs the two and controls about half of the market.
Google purchased DoubleClick for Publishers in 2018, an acquisition the DOJ claims prevented consumers from using a server of their choice, Law360 reports.
In its defense, meanwhile, Google reportedly argues its ad tech is transformative and benefits advertisers, publishers and consumers. It also claims breaking up its ad tech would eliminate those benefits.
Last year, Google agreed to a $23 million settlement to end claims it shared search queries with third-party websites and companies without user consent.
Do you believe Google monopolized the advertising technology market? Let us know in the comments.
The Google advertising technology case is U.S., et al. v. Google LLC, Case No. 1:23-cv-00108, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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