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In a high-stakes antitrust case, Google and the US government delivered closing arguments on Monday in a Virginia federal court, as the tech giant stands accused of unfairly dominating the online advertising market. This case marks Google’s second ongoing US antitrust battle, following a separate lawsuit in which a judge recently ruled that Google’s search business constitutes an illegal monopoly. Now, the government is seeking significant changes to Google’s ad tech operations, claiming the company’s control of online ad auctions harms competition.
The Justice Department’s case focuses on online advertising and the tools that decide which ads appear on websites across the internet. According to the government, Google’s software suite, which is used by the majority of websites, effectively locks publishers into using Google’s advertising technology. This limits options for publishers and inflates ad prices for advertisers.
During closing arguments, DOJ lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum said, “Google is once, twice, three times a monopolist,” emphasizing the company’s stranglehold on the digital advertising market. The government claims that Google’s dominance allows it to charge higher ad prices while keeping a larger share of the revenue, leaving publishers with less money, a problem particularly damaging to news outlets struggling to stay afloat.
Google, however, dismisses these allegations, arguing that the government is attempting to pick “winners and losers” in the market. Google’s lawyer, Karen Dunn, contended that the plaintiffs’ definition of the advertising market is flawed, pointing out that ads placed in search results, social media, and apps are part of the broader digital ad landscape, where Google faces growing competition from companies like TikTok, Meta, and Amazon.
The outcome of this trial, which could stretch into next year, will likely be appealed, and the case may eventually reach the US Supreme Court. If the judge rules against Google, a second phase will determine potential remedies, including whether Google must divest parts of its ad tech business. However, the decision could be influenced by the incoming Trump administration, which has criticized Google but cautioned against breaking up the company.
