Will Google's Ad Tech Be Called a Monopoly?

A big decision is coming up for Google. A judge in Virginia, U. S. , will soon decide if Google's advertising technology is a monopoly. This isn't just any judge, but Judge Leonie Brinkema, who’s expected to give a written ruling by the end of the year. If she finds Google has done something illegal, she'll have more hearings to figure out what to do next. The Justice Department and Google will make their final arguments on Monday. The government says Google has a stranglehold on online ads, especially the rectangular ones you see on websites. They think Google should sell its ad tech business, which makes the company billions each year. Google, on the other hand, argues that it's facing lots of competition from other types of online ads, like those on social media and streaming services. Google uses products like DoubleClick and AdExchange to match ads with the right websites and consumers. The Justice Department thinks this gives Google too much power, hurting publishers and advertisers. They say Google is more interested in keeping its monopoly than helping its customers. Google counters that the government is taking a narrow view and that they've invested billions in their tech. This case is separate from another big case in Washington D. C. , where a judge already said Google’s search engine is a monopoly. But the remedy for that hasn't been decided yet. The Justice Department wants Google to sell its Chrome browser and other things, but Google calls that overkill.