Google Faces Mounting Legal Pressure as Calls Grow to Resolve Ad-Tech Monopoly Case
The U.S. judge overseeing a landmark case that could potentially break up Google’s advertising technology business has raised concerns about how quickly the Department of Justice (DOJ) could implement such a ruling, emphasizing that time is a critical factor, according to CNN.
While Google has so far emerged relatively unscathed from legal and regulatory scrutiny targeting Big Tech since former President Donald Trump’s first term, the company may face a far more consequential outcome depending on the court’s decision in the ad-tech case.
During closing arguments in Virginia, Judge Leonie Brinkema noted that Google will “almost certainly” seek an appeal, a move that could delay any forced divestiture for years. She added that some of the remedies being proposed by the DOJ may be difficult to enforce while an appeal is ongoing.
In April, Judge Brinkema ruled that Google held two illegal monopolies in the digital advertising technology market. She is now weighing what actions are necessary to restore competition and address what she described as a deeply entrenched imbalance in the industry.
Brinkema indicated that Google is in an “impossible situation,” predicting that the company will pursue an appeal partly because publishers and rival tech firms are relying on the current findings to support compensation claims in several new lawsuits.
The DOJ and a coalition of U.S. states are urging the court to force Google to sell its ad exchange platform, AdX, which charges publishers a 20 percent fee for placing ads through real-time auctions triggered as webpages load.
The ruling, once issued, is widely expected to shape the future of the digital advertising ecosystem—and determine whether Google will face a historic structural breakup of one of its core businesses.