A federal judge ruled Thursday that Google acted as a monopoly with some of its digital advertising technology, the second landmark antitrust ruling against Google in a year.
“In addition to depriving rivals of the ability to compete, this exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web,” Judge Leonie Brinkema wrote in her decision.
Twenty-five years ago, Google was a tech innovator rising out of the ashes of Microsoft’s antitrust case in the early 2000s. In her decision, Judge Leonie Brinkema even called out how “Google evolved from a garage-based startup.” Today, it’s the heavyweight in another historic moment for the internet.
The Current spoke with several experts across the industry about the state of innovation in the shadow of the walled gardens, and where ad tech’s next big ideas are likely to come from. While remedies for Google’s judgement could take years to unfold, the tectonic plates of the internet are shifting.
“The implications are massive for advertisers and publishers, especially if we see a true separation of buying and selling sides,” Ben Kartzman, President and COO of Attain, tells The Current.
“If structural remedies are actually enforced, we could finally see an open market emerge, one where innovation and transparency win over lock-in and leverage. That’s the kind of environment we’ve been building for.” he says.
