A federal court has ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by monopolizing the digital advertising market, delivering a major legal victory for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In a decision from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the court found that Google leveraged its dominance in online advertising to harm competitors, publishers, and consumers. The ruling stated that Google’s actions “harmed Google’s publishing customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web.”
The DOJ hailed the ruling on Thursday, describing it as a “landmark victory” in its ongoing efforts to curb the market power of major tech firms. This marks the second major monopolization lawsuit brought against Google by the DOJ.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi reaffirmed the government’s resolve to challenge the dominance of Big Tech, stating, “We will continue taking bold legal action to protect the American people from encroachments on free speech and free markets by tech companies.”
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater, head of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, said the ruling solidified Google’s position as a monopolist, accusing the company of exploiting its control to stifle criticism of its business practices. “Today’s opinion confirms Google’s controlling influence over online advertising and, by extension, the internet itself,” Slater remarked after the court’s decision following the trial in September 2024.
The case originated from a lawsuit filed in January 2023 by the DOJ and state attorneys general. The lawsuit alleged that Google used strategic acquisitions and manipulated online ad auctions to maintain dominance over the ad tech stack—a set of tools that enables the buying, selling, and optimization of digital advertising. Prosecutors accused Google of engaging in anticompetitive practices for over 15 years, sidelining rivals and consolidating power over the process of buying and selling ads across the open web.
The ruling paves the way for potential remedies that could dramatically alter the digital advertising landscape and impose new restrictions on one of the internet’s most powerful players.
