A federal court in Virginia ruled Friday that Google violated U.S. antitrust laws and held an illegal monopoly over the open-web digital advertising markets, following a lawsuit the U.S. Department of Justice brought to challenge the company’s dominance.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia delivered the decision after a 15-day trial that examined Google’s conduct in the digital advertising industry.
The Department of Justice launched the lawsuit to prevent Google from maintaining control over key segments of the digital advertising supply chain.
Government attorneys argued that Google used exclusionary agreements and self-preferencing tactics to block rival technologies and secure its market position.
Officials plan to propose structural changes to restore competition and limit Google’s influence in the ad-tech ecosystem.
Google rejected the court’s findings and defended its advertising tools as legal and beneficial for businesses. Company representatives announced plans to appeal the decision and oppose any proposed remedies during the next phase of the case.
Justice Department lawyers also presented evidence that Google monopolized the search market through exclusive arrangements, including annual payments to Apple to remain the default search engine on iPhones.