Judge Orders Google to Change Ad-Tech Practices

-Editorial 

Judge Leonie Brinkema ordered Google to change certain practices in its digital advertising technology business but stopped short of requiring the company to sell its AdX advertising exchange.

The ruling follows an earlier decision that Google unlawfully acquired and maintained monopoly power in parts of the online advertising technology market. The case has drawn significant attention from news publishers, which have argued that Google’s dominance has limited competition and reduced the revenue publishers receive from digital advertising.

Danielle Coffey, president and CEO of the News/Media Alliance, said the remedies represent progress but do not go far enough without a requirement that Google sell its advertising exchange.

“Today’s remedies ruling takes some positive steps towards dismantling Google’s overwhelming dominance of the adtech marketplace,” Coffey said. She added that publishers need stronger protections to ensure they receive appropriate value for advertising impressions and can continue investing in journalism.

The News/Media Alliance, which represents news and digital media publishers, has spent years challenging what it describes as Google’s anticompetitive conduct in digital advertising. The organization has supported several lawsuits involving publishers, including USA Today, McClatchy, Advance, People, Business Insider, The Atlantic and Vox Media.

The group said its concerns have been reinforced by congressional findings regarding Google’s role in the advertising technology ecosystem and by testimony and other advocacy efforts examining the impact of Google’s market position on publishers.

Coffey said the Justice Department had presented a strong case challenging Google’s market power and cautioned that the original finding of unlawful conduct should not be diminished by what she characterized as insufficient remedies.

The News/Media Alliance also pointed to Google’s dominance in online search, which has been addressed separately in federal antitrust litigation, arguing that the company’s positions across search, consumer data and advertising have contributed to significant revenue losses for creators and publishers.

The organization said it will continue supporting pending publisher lawsuits and advocating for legislation intended to increase competition in digital advertising markets.