A U.S. federal judge has ruled that Google illegally built monopoly power in its online advertising business, siding with the Department of Justice in a landmark antitrust case that could force the tech giant to break up parts of its empire.
The decision, handed down on Thursday by Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia, found that Google’s control over both sides of the digital ad market — the tools for publishers and advertisers — gave it an unfair advantage that harmed rivals and consumers.
It marks the second major court win against Google in under a year and the third since late 2023, when a jury declared its app store to be an illegal monopoly.
At the heart of the ruling is Google’s $31 billion ad tech “stack,” a suite of tools used to match online ads with web publishers. The court found that Google tied together its ad server and publisher exchange in a way that locked out competitors and allowed it to “establish and protect” its dominance.
The DOJ argued that the setup created a structural conflict of interest, letting Google manipulate outcomes in its own favour — a view Judge Brinkema agreed with.
Google may now be required to divest part of its advertising business, though the company said it would appeal.
“We won half of this case and will appeal the other half,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. She noted the court had rejected claims tied to Google’s advertiser tools and acquisitions like DoubleClick.
The ruling adds to growing pressure on Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which is already facing regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe.
Critics have long warned that Google’s dominance in digital advertising raises prices for businesses and reduces visibility for smaller publishers. The Justice Department echoed that, stating Google’s behaviour “substantially harmed” publishers and the broader online information ecosystem.
The case also underscores a wider crackdown on Big Tech, as U.S. regulators ramp up efforts to rein in the power of companies like Meta, Amazon and Apple. Just this week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared in court over separate antitrust claims targeting the company’s acquisition practices.
While Google maintains that its tools benefit publishers, the court’s decision signals a new chapter in the government's antitrust fight — one that could alter how digital advertising works across the open web.
Google plans to appeal parts of a recent U.S. court ruling that found it had unlawfully maintained monopoly power in parts of the online ad market, specifically in publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, while the court dismissed other antitrust claims.
China has dismissed the recent decision by Google to rename parts of the disputed South China Sea, which now labels maritime areas near the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea.
Pavel Prass, co-owner of Yandex, is set to increase his stake in rival VK, signaling consolidation in Russia’s tech sector. The move follows a $5.4 billion deal for Yandex's assets and VK's plan to raise up to 115 billion roubles to tackle mounting debt.
Google has laid off hundreds from its Android, Pixel, and Chrome teams as part of a major restructure, shifting focus towards AI and operational efficiency. The move reflects a broader Big Tech trend of prioritizing innovation over hardware.
US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden are pressing Google and Microsoft for details on their AI partnerships, raising concerns that such deals may stifle competition, breach antitrust laws, and limit innovation in the fast-growing AI sector.
Mexico's Health Ministry confirmed the country's first human case of myiasis caused by screwworm, a parasitic infection, the government reported on Friday. The case was detected in a 77-year-old woman from Acacoyagua, a municipality in the southern state of Chiapas.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have stated that the United States will abandon efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine unless significant progress is made in the coming days.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 19th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
he Trump administration has replaced the Covid.gov website, once a central hub for COVID-19 resources, with a new platform focusing on the lab leak theory regarding the virus's origins.
International financial leaders will discuss ways to restore aid to Syria during next week’s IMF and World Bank meetings.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
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U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
At least 17 people were killed when suspected cattle herders launched attacks on communities in central Nigeria's Benue State on Thursday, police confirmed. The assault is part of a worrying resurgence in violent clashes between farmers and herders, which have long plagued the region.
In a groundbreaking event, China hosted the world’s first humanoid robot race, where robots and humans competed side by side. The competition saw Chinese-made Tien Kung Ultra emerge victorious in the half-marathon, completing the 21-kilometer course in an impressive 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Japan is contemplating offering concessions in the form of increased soybean and rice imports as part of ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, according to a report by the Yomiuri daily on Saturday.
Mexico's Health Ministry confirmed the country's first human case of myiasis caused by screwworm, a parasitic infection, the government reported on Friday. The case was detected in a 77-year-old woman from Acacoyagua, a municipality in the southern state of Chiapas.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have stated that the United States will abandon efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine unless significant progress is made in the coming days.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 19th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
he Trump administration has replaced the Covid.gov website, once a central hub for COVID-19 resources, with a new platform focusing on the lab leak theory regarding the virus's origins.
International financial leaders will discuss ways to restore aid to Syria during next week’s IMF and World Bank meetings.
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