Judge Rules Google Operates Illegal Ad Monopoly

Alphabet's Google created a monopoly that allowed it to control parts of the online-advertising industry, a federal judge ruled April 17, a decision that could upend one of the technology giant’s core businesses. The ruling marked the second time in eight months that a U.S. judge labeled Google an illegal monopolist—and could lead the Justice Department to seek a forced sale of some of the company’s advertising products. US District Judge Leonie Brinkema said Google’s monopoly in ad exchanges and server markets violated the Sherman Antitrust Act, harming advertisers and consumers. Lee-Anne Mulholland, a Google vice president, said in a statement that the company would appeal the parts of the decision that it lost.