Google's Advertising Empire Faces Antitrust Reckoning

A U.S. judge has ruled against Google's dominance in the online advertising market, clearing the way for further hearings to determine corrective measures. This marks another setback for Google in antitrust cases, despite plans to appeal. The ruling could shake up competition and lead to possible asset sales.

Alphabet's Google has once again found itself at the center of antitrust scrutiny, as a U.S. judge ruled that the tech giant illegally dominates two critical markets for online advertising technology. This decision could pave the way for U.S. prosecutors to push for a breakup of Google's ad products.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia accused Google of willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power in markets for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. These platforms are crucial for news publishers and content providers to generate revenue through online advertisements.

While Google plans to appeal, arguing the company offers competitive and cost-effective tools, the ruling signifies a potential shift in the tech landscape, with broader regulatory implications for similar firms such as Amazon and Meta. Google's appeal comes as other tech companies face their own antitrust challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)