News Corp Testifies Against Google's Ad Monopoly in Landmark Antitrust Trial

In a landmark antitrust trial, News Corp testified against Google, claiming its advertising revenue would have dropped by $9 billion in 2017 without using Google's ad services. Former News Corp executive Stephanie Layser stated the company felt 'hostage' to Google due to the monopolistic practices. The trial will determine whether Google must divest part of its ad manager platform.

In a landmark antitrust trial, News Corp has testified that it would have lost up to $9 billion in advertising revenue in 2017 had it stopped using Google's advertising services. The trial, which began this week in Virginia, aims to scrutinize Google's dominance in the ad tech market.

Stephanie Layser, a former News Corp executive, testified that Google's ad services essentially held the media conglomerate 'hostage'. According to Layser, Google's features primarily benefited itself, making it difficult for publishers to use alternative services. This sentiment was echoed by Tim Wolfe of Gannett, who also cited limited options outside of Google.

The Department of Justice is trying to prove that Google monopolized markets for publisher ad servers, advertiser ad networks, and ad exchanges. Prosecutors aim to make the tech giant sell off its Google Ad Manager if found guilty of violating antitrust laws.

(With inputs from agencies.)