Judge rules Google built illegal ad monopoly, DOJ threatens another breakup

What just happened? The U.S. Department of Justice has argued that Google illegally built "monopoly power" through its web advertising business, manipulating online ad services across multiple sectors and forcing higher fees on publishers reliant on its technology. Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that the tech giant's anticompetitive behavior harmed publishers, and the DOJ contended that Google should be forced to divest its ad tech business. A federal judge handed Google yet another courtroom defeat on Thursday, ruling that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly in key segments of the online display advertising industry. This decision could pave the way for the government to break up Google's advertising operations. Google's ad server – formerly known as DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) – controls around 90% of the market and connects websites with advertisers. On the other side, Google's ad exchange, previously called AdX, runs auctions where advertisers bid for those spots. B ... Read full article.