Washington, Apr. 17, (dpa/GNA) – A second judge in the United States on Thursday ruled that internet giant Google has an illegal monopoly.
It is the second such ruling in less than one year. The case concerned tools for placing online advertisements.
Judge Leonie Brinkema in the state of Virginia concluded that the company had gained a monopoly position in online advertising on some platforms through unfair competition.
The consequences will be decided at a later date.
The US government prevailed in its 2023 lawsuit alleging violations in two of three advertising markets.
Google already suffered a major defeat by US competition regulators last August.
A judge in Washington ruled that the company had a monopoly on internet search and had defended it against competitors using unfair means.
Google said it would appeal the latest ruling.
“We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools. Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective,” Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president for regulatory affairs, posted on X.
A trial on the consequences of the ruling is set to begin next week.
The US Justice Department is demanding that Google be forced to divest itself of its Chrome web browser and Android mobile operating system businesses.
GNA
PDC