By Atoyebi Nike
The United States government has opened a fresh legal battle against Google, urging a federal judge to order the breakup of the tech giant’s advertising technology business.
The case, which began on Monday, marks a crucial phase in the Department of Justice’s antitrust campaign against Big Tech. Prosecutors want Google to spin off its ad publisher and exchange operations and be banned from running an ad exchange for the next decade.
This comes after Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled earlier this year that Google maintained an illegal monopoly over digital advertising tools, known as the “ad tech stack,” which websites use to sell ads and advertisers use to buy them.
Google, however, strongly opposes the proposed remedies, describing them as extreme and unworkable. “We’ve said from the start that DOJ’s case misunderstands how digital advertising works and ignores how the landscape has dramatically evolved, with increasing competition and new entrants,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs.
The trial is expected to last a week, followed by closing arguments later this month. It comes just weeks after a separate ruling spared Google from having to divest its Chrome browser, even though it was found to dominate the online search market. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has since seen its shares rise more than 20 percent.
The outcome of this trial could reshape not only Google’s future in digital advertising but also the broader balance of power in the global tech industry.
