Latest news with #LeonieBrinkema
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Google seeks to limit reach of US judge's digital ads ruling
May 13 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google has asked a federal judge in Texas not to adopt the reasoning of his counterpart in Virginia who ruled last month that the tech giant illegally dominates markets for online advertising technology. In a filing, opens new tab on Monday, Google told U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan in Plano, Texas that the decision last month should not influence his rulings in a related case before him accusing the company of violating antitrust law. Texas and other U.S. states sued Google in 2020, accusing it of illegally dominating advertising markets and violating laws against deceptive trade practices. In the Virginia case, filed after the Texas lawsuit, the U.S. Justice Department, Virginia and other states also sued Google over its digital advertising business practices. Texas and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and neither did Google. Google argued that an April 17 ruling by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia that found the company held an illegal monopoly was 'neither preclusive nor persuasive,' and that the company will appeal it. 'It is not the task of this court to decide whether the decision of its co-equal court is correct,' Google's attorneys told Jordan in Texas federal court. Texas and the other states countered in a filing, opens new tab that Brinkema 'rejected Google's key arguments decisively.' Google had tried unsuccessfully to consolidate the antitrust cases in Virginia and Texas before a judge in New York who is weighing related antitrust claims. The Texas lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial, unlike the Justice Department's case in Virginia. In the Virginia litigation, Brinkema in September will begin considering what remedies should be imposed to restore competition to online advertising. The case is State of Texas et al v. Google LLC, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, No. 4:20-cv-00957-SDJ. For plaintiffs: W. Mark Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm; and Ashley Keller of Keller Postman For defendant: R. Paul Yetter of Yetter Coleman; Eric Mahr of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; and Daniel Bitton of Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider Read more: US seeks breakup of Google's ad-tech products after judge finds illegal monopoly Google could use AI to extend search monopoly, DOJ says as trial begins Google's antitrust woes mount in US cases over search, apps, ads Google defeats part of US shareholder class action over digital ads
1News
07-05-2025
- Business
- 1News
US expands attempt to break up Google with an adtech teardown
The US Justice Department is doubling down on its attempt to break up Google by asking a federal judge to force the company to part with some of the technology powering the company's digital ad network. The proposed dismantling coincides with an ongoing federal effort to separate Google's Chrome browser from its dominant search engine. The US government's latest proposal was filed in a Virginia federal court two-and-a-half weeks after a federal judge ruled that its lucrative digital ad network has been improperly abusing its market power to stifle competition to the detriment of online publishers. In a 17-page filing, Justice Department lawyers argued that US District Judge Leonie Brinkema should punish Google by ordering the company to offload its AdX business and DFP ad platform, tools that bring together advertisers, who want to market their products, and publishers, who want to sell commercial space on their sites, to bring in revenue. The US government is also seeking other restrictions, including a 10-year ban on Google from operating a digital ad exchange, to undercut the power of a 'recidivist monopolist.' Not surprisingly, it's an idea that Google vehemently plans to oppose when the penalty phase of the antitrust case —known as remedy hearings — begins in late September. Google already has vowed to appeal Brinkema's ruling that the technology powering the ad network has been breaking the law, but can't do that until the judge rules on its punishment in a decision expected late this year or early next year. The Justice Department's proposal 'would cause economic chaos and technological dysfunction resulting in harm to millions of advertisers and publishers, and in so doing, degrade the experience of internet users,' Google said in a court filing late Monday. In its counterproposal, Google outlined a plan that it believes will bring more transparency to its ad network and eventually foster more competition. Google proposed the appointment of a trustee to oversee its behaviour for three years. The attempt to tear down Google's ad network comes on top of the Justice Department's ongoing effort to have the company part with its popular Chrome browser and impose other restrictions to curtail the power of its ubiquitous search engine, which another federal judge branded an illegal monopoly in a ruling last August. The remedy hearings in the search case are scheduled to conclude later this month, with a ruling from US District Judge Amit Mehta expected by Labor Day. If the Justice Department is able to persuade the two different judges to order its proposed dismantling of Google, it would be the biggest breakup of a US company since AT&T was forced to spin off its phone service into seven separate regional companies more than 40 years ago. Google's Play Store for apps running on its Android software that powers most of the world's smartphones was also declared an illegal monopoly by a federal jury in 2023 and is battling a judge's order that would require it to overhaul a commission system that generates billions of dollars in annual revenue. But hobbling its search engine and digital ad network would be far bigger blows because they are the key cogs in a business that generated US$265 billion in revenue last year. Google is confronting the breakup threats at the same time the advent of artificial intelligence is changing the way consumers are using technology and seeking information online — a shift that could also siphon traffic and money away from a powerhouse that began in a Silicon Valley garage in 1998. Despite the adversity, Google is still delivering robust financial growth to its corporate parent Alphabet Inc., which is currently valued at US$2 trillion. Alphabet's share dipped by less than 1% on Tuesday to close at US$163.20.
Int'l Business Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Google Faces Ad-Tech Breakup as US Targets Illegal Monopoly
The Google logo is seen with the rainbow flag as a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and queer pride and LGBT social movements in New York City on June 7, 2022. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is taking major steps to break up part of Google's digital advertising empire after a judge ruled the tech giant held an illegal monopoly in two key ad-tech markets. The DOJ is now urging a federal court to force Google to sell its AdX platform and DFP ad server tools—key technologies that connect advertisers with websites looking to sell ad space. These proposed changes aim to restore fairness and competition in the online ad space. According to the DOJ, Google used its power to control both sides of the digital advertising market—where ads are sold and how they are delivered—leaving publishers and advertisers with fewer choices and higher costs. According to CNBC , US District Judge Leonie Brinkema recently found Google guilty of "willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power" in these markets. The trial to decide Google's punishment is set for September, with a final ruling expected by early next year. — Storyboard18 (@BrandStoryboard) May 7, 2025 Google Warns Ad-Tech Split Would Hurt Internet Users Google strongly opposes the DOJ's demands. The company said that forcing it to sell parts of its ad business would harm advertisers, publishers, and internet users alike. "The DOJ's proposals... have no basis in law and would harm publishers and advertisers," said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. Instead, Google has offered a different solution. It suggested a plan to increase transparency and allow a court-appointed trustee to monitor its behavior for three years. Google argues this would protect competition without needing to break up its business. The DOJ disagrees, saying stronger action is needed, including a 10-year ban on Google from running a digital ad exchange, Inquirer said. The agency wants to ensure the company cannot repeat its past behavior, calling Google a "recidivist monopolist." This isn't the only legal battle Google is facing. In another ongoing case, the DOJ is also trying to separate the company's Chrome browser from its search engine, which another judge ruled was also an illegal monopoly. If the courts approve the DOJ's proposals, it would be the largest US company breakup since AT&T was forced to divide into smaller companies over 40 years ago. Originally published on © {{Year}} All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Ammon
07-05-2025
- Business
- Ammon
U.S. seeks breakup of Google's ad-tech products after judge finds illegal monopoly
Ammon News - The U.S. Department of Justice has proposed that Google sell its AdX digital ad marketplace and DFP platform for managing and delivering ads on websites, after a federal judge found the company illegally dominated two online ad-tech markets. The proposed remedies, including divestitures, are necessary to end the Alphabet-owned tech giant's monopolies and restore competition in the ad-exchange and publisher ad-server markets, the DOJ said in a court filing late on Monday. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia last month found Google liable for "willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power" in those two markets. The ruling was another blow for Google after a separate judge found last year that Google held an illegal monopoly in online search. Brinkema set a September trial date on Friday, after hearing from Google and the DOJ on potential remedies for the company's dominance in ad tools used by online publishers. Google has said the company supported behavioural remedies such as making real-time bids available to competitors, but that prosecutors cannot legally pursue a bid to force it to sell parts of its business. "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," Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's vice president of Regulatory Affairs, said in a statement to Reuters. Shares of Alphabet were down nearly 1.1% in premarket trading on Tuesday. AdX, or Ad Exchange, is a marketplace where publishers can make their unsold ad space available to advertisers for purchase on a real-time basis. Publisher ad servers are platforms used by websites to store and manage their digital ad inventory. Along with ad exchanges, the technology lets news publishers and other online content providers make money by selling ads.
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Business Standard
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
US moves to dismantle Google's ad technology in major antitrust push
Google said in its own filing that divestiture of AdX and DFP wouldn't be technically feasible because neither piece of technology is capable of working outside of Google's proprietary infrastructure AP Washington The US Justice Department is doubling down on its attempt to break up Google by asking it to give up the underlying technology powering the company's digital ad network. The proposed remedy joins a separate federal effort to separate the Chrome browser from its dominant search engine. The government's latest proposal was filed late Monday in a Virginia federal court two-and-half weeks after a federal judge ruled that parts of its lucrative digital ad network have been improperly abusing its market power to stifle competition to the detriment of online publishers. In a 17-page filing, Justice Department lawyers argued that US District Judge Leonie Brinkema should punish Google by ordering the company to offload its AdX business and DFP ad platform, tools that bring together advertisers, who want to market their products, and publishers, who want to sell commercial space on their sites, to bring in revenue. Not surprisingly, it's an idea that Google vehemently plans to oppose when the penalty phase of the antitrust case known as remedy hearings begins in late September. Google already has vowed to appeal Brinkema's ruling that the technology powering the ad network has been breaking the law, but can't do that until the judge rules on its punishment in a decision expected late this year or early next year. Google said in its own filing Monday that divestiture of AdX and DFP wouldn't be technically feasible because neither piece of technology is capable of working outside of Google's proprietary infrastructure. The company proposed its own remedies to restore competition, and reiterated its intent to appeal the ruling. Divestiture is not as simple as selling either the AdX or DFP source code to a willing buyer, Google wrote. The attempt to tear down Google's ad network comes on top of the Justice Department's ongoing effort to have the company part with its popular Chrome browser and impose other restrictions to curtail the power of its ubiquitous search engine, which another federal judge branded an illegal monopoly in a ruling last August. The remedy hearings in the search case are scheduled to conclude later this month, with a ruling from US District Judge Amit Mehta expected by Labour Day. If the Justice Department is able to persuade the two different judges to order its proposed dismantling of Google, it would be the biggest breakup of a US company since AT&T was forced to spin off its phone service into seven separate regional companies more than 40 years ago. Google's Play Store for apps running on its Android software that powers most of the world's smartphones also was declared an illegal monopoly by a federal jury in 2023 and is battling a judge's order that would require it to overhaul a commission system that generates billions of dollars in annual revenue. But hobbling its search engine and digital ad network would be far bigger blows because they are the key cogs in a business that generated USD 265 billion in revenue last year. Google is confronting the breakup threats at the same time the advent of artificial intelligence is changing the way consumers are using technology and seeking information online a shift that could also siphon traffic and money away from a powerhouse that began in a Silicon Valley garage in 1998. Despite the adversity, Google is still delivering robust financial growth to its corporate parent Alphabet Inc., which is currently valued at USD 2 trillion.
