The DOJ wins ad tech antitrust case against Google

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A US court has ruled against Google in a major antitrust case, siding with the Department of Justice (DOJ), which accused the tech giant of using unfair tactics to dominate the online advertising technology market.

This is the second big legal loss for Google after a recent case about its dominance in online search.

The judge found that Google broke antitrust laws by unfairly controlling two parts of the digital ad business: publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. 

For those unaware, published ad servers are tools used by websites to sell ad space, and ad exchanges are where digital ads are bought and sold. 

For over ten years, Google tied these two products together so tightly, through contracts and technology, that publishers had little choice but to use both. 

This helped Google gain and keep a monopoly, harming competition, publishers, and web users.

However, the judge did not agree with the DOJ that Google had a monopoly in advertiser ad networks, which connect advertisers to websites.

Google said it plans to appeal the parts of the case it lost. A Google spokesperson argued that their tools don’t hurt competition—they’re just popular because they’re effective and easy to use. (Via: The Verge) 

The judge also criticized Google for deleting employee chats that could’ve been used as evidence. 

While this behavior could have led to penalties, the judge said it wasn’t necessary this time because there was already enough proof.

During the trial, the DOJ claimed Google used its power unfairly across three areas of the ad tech market, leading to higher costs and fewer choices for advertisers and publishers. 

Google, on the other hand, argued that its products work well together and benefit everyone, and that the DOJ was trying to control how it runs its business.

This decision adds to Google’s legal troubles, especially as another court prepares to decide on possible punishments in the separate search monopoly case. 

That case could force Google to make big changes, like splitting up its Chrome browser or changing how it shows search results.

What do you think about this ruling? Do you think Google deserves more scrutiny? Tell us your thoughts below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.