United States et al. v. Google LLC
On April 17, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google unlawfully maintained monopolies in publisher ad‑servers and ad‑exchanges, and illegally tied the two products together.
Key Findings
- Google leveraged its DoubleClick and AdX dominance to squeeze rival exchanges.
- Internal documents showed policies designed to force publishers onto Google technology.
- DOJ did not prove monopoly power in advertiser ad networks, but that was “small comfort,” the court said.
Business Implications
- Break‑up on the table: The remedies phase could see prosecutors seek divestiture of DoubleClick/Ad Manager, echoing historic AT&T and Microsoft actions.
- Precedent for Apple and Amazon cases: The opinion clarifies how courts assess tech tying and self‑preferencing.
- Ad‑market shake‑up: Publishers may gain leverage to negotiate better terms—or migrate to open‑source solutions—if structural relief materializes.
Next Steps
The parties submit remedy proposals this summer; expect hearings in Q4 2025. Google has vowed to appeal, but appellate courts traditionally give wide berth to fact‑heavy monopoly findings.
