A judge has ruled that Google holds monopoly power in key areas of online advertising, specifically in publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. This decision is a significant blow to Google, reinforcing claims that its dominance stifles competition and harms both advertisers and publishers. The ruling could lead to major changes in how Google operates its ad business, potentially requiring the company to restructure or divest parts of its advertising technology. Google has announced plans to appeal, insisting that there is still healthy competition in the market. This ruling adds to growing regulatory pressure on Big Tech companies and highlights ongoing concerns about monopolistic practices in the digital advertising space.

U.S. federal judge has ruled that Google illegally holds monopoly power in two key online advertising technology markets: publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, which connect advertisers with website publishers. This marks a major legal setback for Google and supports the Justice Department’s case that the company’s exclusionary practices harmed competitors, publishers, and consumers by limiting competition and controlling critical ad tech infrastructure. The ruling opens the door for potential remedies, including forcing Google to divest parts of its advertising business to restore competition. Google plans to appeal the decision, arguing that its tools remain cost-effective and that competition exists from other players like Amazon. This is the second major antitrust ruling against Google in less than a year, following a similar verdict on its search monopoly, signaling increased scrutiny of the tech giant’s dominance in the digital economy

Do you trust Google products? I always find them questionable, services and products by centralized systems and monopolistic entities.