A US judge ruled that Google holds a monopoly over online advertising technology, which was emphasized in an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and several states. The court found that Google engaged in anti-competitive acts that harmed both publishers and consumers. Google plans to appeal, arguing its tools are chosen for being effective and affordable. This ruling follows a previous loss where a similar monopoly was identified in online search, marking a significant challenge to Google's business practices amid ongoing scrutiny and calls for potential breakup of the company.
"Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective," said head of regulatory affairs Lee-Ann Mulholland.
US District Judge Leonie Brinkema stated that Google had "wilfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts" which harmed the competitive process and consumers.
Ms Mulholland emphasized, "We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half," referring to the court's mixed ruling.
The ongoing series of antitrust lawsuits argue that Google and Alphabet should be broken up, potentially affecting parts like the Chrome browser.
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