Google holds illegal monopoly of the online advertising market, U.S. judge rules
Alphabet subsidiary Google illegally dominates two online advertising technology markets, a judge ruled on Thursday, marking another setback for the monopoly abuser and setting the stage for U.S. antitrust prosecutors to pursue a breakup of its online advertising products. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, held Google liable for “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in the markets for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, which connect buyers and sellers.
The decision clears the way for another hearing to determine what Google must do to restore competition in those markets, such as sell off parts of its business at another trial that has yet to be scheduled. It is the second court ruling that Google holds an illegal monopoly, following a similar judgement in a case over online search.
Publisher ad servers are platforms used by websites to store and manage their digital ad inventory. Along with ad exchanges, the technology lets news publishers and other online content providers make money by selling ads. Those funds are the “lifeblood” of the internet, Brinkema wrote.
MacDailyNews Take: We haven’t had “lifeblood” for years, thanks to Google choking off publishers with whom they do not agree, who do not pay them, and/or who do not conform to their myriad dictates. Without our loyal MacDailyNews on Substack contributors, we’d be long gone, just like MacNN, MacSurfer, and so many other “Mac Web” publishers. Thank you for your support!
“In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web,” Brinkema wrote…
The DOJ has said that Google should have to sell off at least its Google Ad Manager, which includes the company’s publisher ad server and ad exchange… Google now faces the possibility of two U.S. courts ordering it to sell assets or change its business practices.
MacDailyNews Take: Any real remedies, if they ever materialize, will be far too late for far too many, likely including us. Our MacDailyNews on Substack contributors are keeping us going, amounting to around 15% of required revenue. Any ads you see here bring in less than 10% of required revenue. Amazon commissions deliver about 5% of required revenue. Still chugging along on 30% of our base required revenue!
Google owns search. If they don’t like what you say*, you don’t show up, of appear very high up, in their search results.
Google owns the online ad business. If they don’t like what you say*, you don’t get access to quality ads, or decently-paying ads.
*For one example (many more below): “Google stole the iPhone and got away with it scot-free.”
We’d rather die than surrender our freedom of speech. We’ll go down telling it like it is, if that’s the way it has to be.
Google Do Know Evil.
You know why there are fifteen ads where there used to be three? Google.
We’d like to see real competition in the online search and advertising markets restored someday. – MacDailyNews, March 20, 2019
Imagine if your livelihood depended on one company that had not only monopolized web search (and, thereby, basically controlled how new customers find you), but also controlled the bulk of online advertising dollars which funded your business and which they could pull, simply threaten to pull, or reduce rates at any time? Now also imagine if you believe this monopolist basically stole the product of another company that is the very subject of your business? How much would you criticize the monopolist thief’s business practices?
You might guess that it would be a tough road to walk. (We’re only imagining, of course!)
That would be a good example of why monopolies are bad for everyone…
In the meantime, stop using Google search and Google products wherever possible. Monopolies are bad for everyone. — MacDailyNews, July 14, 2016
Google monopolized both the search and online advertising markets years ago when they bought politicians via myriad campaign contributions (monetary and services provided) who then pushed through approval of Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick in 2007 that never should have been rubber-stamped. – MacDailyNews, November 21, 2024
Google is a massive problem that simply must be addressed. There is one “Big Tech” company that is really stifling competition and for which antitrust remedies are in order: Alphabet (Google). — MacDailyNews, October 20, 2020
When one search engine has 86% [89.71% – Apr. 2025] share of the worldwide market (and Google basically isn’t even used in China), there is far, far, far too much power concentrated in one company. The whole concept of the World Wide Web is destroyed when a sole gatekeeper basically controls what gets seen, read, and heard. It’s not open, it’s completely closed and controlled.
Publishers who want to be read, for example, spend an inordinate amount of time making sure they follow Google’s dictates, nebulously sussed from Google’s secret algorithm, formatting their sites, even writing their articles a certain way, including certain words they might not choose if allowed to write freely, simply to please Google’s algorithm…
Hopefully, lawmakers can come together to figure out a way to do something to remedy the horribly uncompetitive situation in internet search. Google is, and has been for years, a perfect example of why antitrust laws exist. — MacDailyNews, July 29, 2020
With this unprecedented power, platforms have the ability to redirect into their pockets the advertising dollars that once went to newspapers and magazines. No one company should have the power to pick and choose which content reaches consumers and which doesn’t. — MacDailyNews, November 9, 2017
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