The U.S. Justice Department has accused Alphabet’s Google of illegally dominating the online advertising technology market, seeking a second antitrust victory against the tech giant. Closing arguments in the case, presented in Alexandria, Virginia, wrap up a 15-day trial held in September. Prosecutors argued that Google monopolized the markets for publisher ad servers, advertiser ad networks, and sought to dominate ad exchanges, which mediate transactions between buyers and sellers.
DOJ attorney Aaron Teitelbaum stated that “Google rigged the rules of the road” and urged the court to hold the company accountable for anticompetitive behavior. He emphasized that Google had acted as a monopolist multiple times. Another DOJ lawyer, Julia Tarver Wood, likened the case to Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, suggesting the court must choose between the DOJ’s view and Google’s interpretation of the ad market.
Google’s defense, led by attorney Karen Dunn, argued that the DOJ failed to meet its legal burden. Dunn claimed the government was asking the judge to disregard antitrust law and key precedents, asserting that the online ad market remained highly competitive. Google also pointed out its legitimate business decisions and countered that the DOJ focused only on a narrow slice of the market.
Publishers testified that they had little choice but to use Google’s platform, even when dissatisfied with its features, due to the lack of alternative ways to access its vast ad network. If Judge Leonie Brinkema rules that Google violated antitrust laws, she will consider the DOJ’s request to make Google sell its Google Ad Manager platform.
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