Google Faces Remedies Trial in Ad Tech Antitrust Case, Set for September

The U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust battle with Google is entering a critical new phase, with a remedies trial scheduled to begin on September 22. According to CNBC, the trial stems from a ruling last month in which U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema found Google liable for maintaining unlawful monopolies in key segments of the online advertising market.

Judge Brinkema, based in Alexandria, Virginia, determined that Google had “willfully” used its dominance to control both the supply and demand sides of the digital ad ecosystem. Per CNBC, the court found that Google’s contractual and technological practices—specifically the integration of its ad server and ad exchange—allowed it to entrench its market power over the course of more than a decade.

The upcoming trial is part of a broader crackdown on Google’s market practices. In a separate case centered on its core search business, another judge ruled last August that the tech giant had maintained a monopoly in online search. That ruling, made by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, was described by CNBC as the most significant antitrust decision in the technology sector since the federal case against Microsoft two decades ago. The remedies phase of that case began in Washington, D.C. last month.

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In both cases, the government is seeking structural changes to Google’s business, including potentially requiring the divestiture of parts of its ad tech infrastructure. However, Google has pushed back forcefully on those demands. “Today the DOJ conceded Google’s proposed ad tech remedy fully addresses the Court’s decision on liability,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, in a statement. “The DOJ’s additional proposals to force a divestiture of our ad tech tools go well beyond the Court’s findings, have no basis in law, and would harm publishers and advertisers.”

The legal pressure comes at a time when Google is also contending with rising competition in the rapidly evolving generative AI space. According to CNBC, companies like OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, along with Amazon-supported Anthropic and newcomer Perplexity, are challenging Google’s long-held dominance in internet search.

With its search and advertising empires under legal scrutiny, Google’s dual focus on courtroom defense and technological innovation will likely shape the company’s future—and potentially redefine the structure of the digital economy.

Source: CNBC