DOJ Seeks to Unravel Google’s Ad Empire in Landmark Antitrust Bid
The DOJ’s push to break up Google echoes the Microsoft antitrust case of the 2000s, when the government sought to force the software giant to share technology with rivals
The U.S. government is pushing to force Google to divest key ad tech platforms like AdX and DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP), alleging 15 years of anticompetitive practices that inflated ad costs, hurt publishers, and stifled rivals.
Google is accused of controlling both sides of the ad market (buyers and sellers), using acquisitions, exclusive contracts (e.g., paying Apple to keep Google Search as default), and bundling services to eliminate competition. A 2023 court ruling found these practices violated antitrust laws. ---More...