Google operates illegal ad monopoly, judge finds | LiveNOW from FOX

For the second time in less than a year, a federal judge has ruled that Google broke antitrust laws—this time for monopolizing the digital advertising market.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema’s decision, issued Thursday in Virginia, found that Google illegally tied together parts of its sprawling ad tech business to dominate how online ads are bought and sold. The ruling is a major win for the U.S. Department of Justice and marks a potential turning point in the government’s efforts to rein in Big Tech’s market power.

Brinkema’s 115-page decision concluded that Google abused its power in two key areas of digital advertising: the technology that helps publishers sell ad space and the tools used to run real-time ad auctions.

"For over a decade, Google has tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange together through contractual policies and technological integration, which enabled the company to establish and protect its monopoly power in these two markets," Brinkema wrote. "Google further entrenched its monopoly power by imposing anticompetitive policies on its customers and eliminating desirable product features."

The case now moves into a penalty phase, expected to begin later this year or early 2026. The Justice Department is likely to push for structural changes, potentially including forcing Google to sell off parts of its ad tech business—specifically, the Ad Manager platform and ad exchange.

In a statement, Google said it will appeal the ruling.

Tom Rossman with the Henry George School of Social Science joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to break it all down.

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