In a major escalation of the federal government’s antitrust campaign, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking a court to order the company divest key parts of its digital Google ad business.
The demand comes after Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled on April 16 that Google violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by abusing its dominance in ad tech to manipulate prices and suppress competition in the online advertising market.
DOJ Demands Google Ad Business Divestiture
“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,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs.
The Department of Justice’s request, as reported by Reuters and AppleInsider, targets two crucial Google advertising products:
- AdX: The exchange where digital ad inventory is bought and sold.
- DFP (DoubleClick for Publishers): A management platform that publishers use to run and serve ads.
The DOJ argues that Google should sell both platforms, with a court-appointed trustee overseeing the divestitures and ensuring compliance.
