A U.S. judge has ruled that Google holds a monopoly in online advertising technology. The decision follows a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice and 17 states, accusing Google of using anticompetitive practices to dominate the ad tech market, determining which adverts are placed online and where.  

This marks Google’s second antitrust defeat in a year, after being found to hold a monopoly in online search. Google has announced plans to appeal the ruling, with Regulatory Affairs Head Lee-Ann Mulholland asserting that their tools are effective and chosen by publishers for their simplicity and affordability.

However, the judge highlighted Google's actions as “wilfully anticompetitive,” causing harm to publishers, the market, and consumers. Experts suggest the ruling sets an important legal precedent, boosting efforts to hold big tech accountable.  

The next phase of the trial will focus on "remedies," which could include structural changes to Google’s ad practices or even breaking up parts of its parent company, Alphabet. Meanwhile, the UK's competition watchdog is also investigating similar claims against Google.

- CyberBeat