Consumers and small businesses achieved a significant victory in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where Google was found to have maintained illegal monopolies in the digital advertising technology sector. This decision, which affects website publishers, advertisers, and consumers, was part of a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 17 attorneys general alongside the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2023.
Attorney General Nick Brown stated, "Google’s unlawful monopoly in digital advertising has harmed businesses whose operations are largely funded by online advertising. Google’s anticompetitive practices have resulted in higher fees and limited advertising options that has become a vital tool for both large and small businesses to connect with consumers."
The original lawsuit alleged that Google's control over online ad sales enabled it to charge higher fees to advertisers and offer lower payouts to publishers, which consequently damages consumers and web publishers trying to earn revenues without resorting to subscriptions or paywalls.
Judge Leonie Brinkema's ruling deemed Google liable for antitrust violations through monopolies in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets related to open-web display advertising. The judgment also addressed issues with Google unlawfully tying its publisher ad server to its ad exchange, reducing service quality, and increasing costs.
A subsequent trial phase will focus on determining remedies for Google's conduct.
The litigation was led by the attorneys general of New York, California, and Virginia, alongside the DOJ and attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, and West Virginia.
The Washington state Attorney General’s Office, a key participant in the lawsuit, represents state agencies and the public by enforcing various laws and tackling cases of elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and sexually violent predator cases in almost all of Washington's counties.