A U.S. federal judge established that Google maintained illegal control over essential digital advertising markets which led the Department of Justice (DOJ) to require the company to sell its AdX and DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) products. The DOJ claims Google’s control over ad exchanges and publisher servers limited competition so they seek a breakup to achieve market fairness.
Judge Leonie Brinkema established that Google actively acquired and sustained its monopoly position in these markets. The DOJ demands that Google must sell AdX and conduct a gradual DFP sale while imposing a 10-year restriction on operating an ad exchange following AdX’s sale. The department demands Google to operate its ad-buying tools such as AdWords equally with third-party platforms.
Google rejects the DOJ’s proposed demands through its VP of Regulatory Affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland who describes them as excessive and baseless. According to her Google has implemented sufficient remedies by allowing third-party servers to access AdX and by establishing a compliance observer position. The DOJ has rejected these proposed solutions as insufficient.
Google attempted to resolve its European antitrust investigation by offering to sell AdX but publishers declined the offer. The court will establish final remedies during a September trial when both parties will present their arguments about Google’s advertising business direction.
