A U.S. judge has scheduled a hearing on May 2 to discuss possible actions the U.S. Justice Department and several states may seek against Google . Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that the company illegally dominates two online advertising markets . The judge then said that Google has built an illegal monopoly over publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, engaging in anticompetitive acts to maintain dominance, harming publishers, competition and consumers.
Judge Brinkema said that the hearing is intended to get an early overview of potential remedies before considering specific actions. The judge led a non-jury trial last year and will decide what steps Google must take to restore competition, which could include selling parts of its business.
This ruling marks the second time a U.S. court has found Google to hold an illegal monopoly. In August 2024, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google used exclusive agreements with companies like Samsung Electronics to strengthen its search engine monopoly.
Judge Mehta is currently considering whether Google should be required to sell its Chrome web browser to improve competition in the search market.
Google, on its part, has denied the government’s allegations in both cases and has stated plans to appeal both rulings.
Five big anti-trust cases targeting Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook going in the US
The ruling is part of a broader US government push to curb Big Tech, with five major antitrust cases targeting tech giants, marking an aggressive shift in enforcement since the Microsoft case in the 1990s.
Analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf of Emarketer said the antitrust tide has turned against Google, though legal remedies and timelines depend on appeals, which could span years. The case, launched under the Trump and Biden administrations, follows another ruling last August that Google illegally monopolized search, also under appeal. Online advertising fuels Google’s fortune, funding free services like Maps, Gmail, and search, and its AI investments.
Judge Brinkema said that the hearing is intended to get an early overview of potential remedies before considering specific actions. The judge led a non-jury trial last year and will decide what steps Google must take to restore competition, which could include selling parts of its business.
This ruling marks the second time a U.S. court has found Google to hold an illegal monopoly. In August 2024, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google used exclusive agreements with companies like Samsung Electronics to strengthen its search engine monopoly.
Judge Mehta is currently considering whether Google should be required to sell its Chrome web browser to improve competition in the search market.
Google, on its part, has denied the government’s allegations in both cases and has stated plans to appeal both rulings.
Five big anti-trust cases targeting Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook going in the US
The ruling is part of a broader US government push to curb Big Tech, with five major antitrust cases targeting tech giants, marking an aggressive shift in enforcement since the Microsoft case in the 1990s.
Analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf of Emarketer said the antitrust tide has turned against Google, though legal remedies and timelines depend on appeals, which could span years. The case, launched under the Trump and Biden administrations, follows another ruling last August that Google illegally monopolized search, also under appeal. Online advertising fuels Google’s fortune, funding free services like Maps, Gmail, and search, and its AI investments.
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