Is Google a Monopoly? US DoJ Launches Second Antitrust Trial, This Time Targeting Ad Technology – Computerworld

The previous antitrust lawsuit in the US involved Google’s search business, and the eight-month trial ended in a defeat for the company. In August, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the tech giant engaged in anti-competitive conduct to protect its dominance, saying: “Google is a monopoly and has acted like a monopoly to maintain its monopoly.” The penalties from the ruling are not yet clear.

“Bringing Back Competition” to the Internet

In the trial, which began Monday, the Justice Department will argue that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, controls most of the tools and technology in the ad tech sector.

The lawsuit was filed in 2023 by the Department of Justice and a coalition of eight states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Virginia — and seeks to “restore competition” and obtain “fair and financial relief” for the American public.