Key Dates in Google’s AdTech Monopoly Case From Filing to Federal Ruling

A federal judge’s landmark ruling Thursday (April 17) found Google guilty of illegally monopolizing the online advertising technology market, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle between regulators and Big Tech. The decision comes after more than two years of legal wrangling, with the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of states arguing that Google’s dominance in digital ad infrastructure has stifled competition and harmed publishers, advertisers and consumers alike. The following timeline traces the key developments in the case, from the initial lawsuit to today’s historic judgment.

• The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and 17 states file an antitrust lawsuit against Google LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
• The suit alleges Google illegally monopolized the advertising technology (AdTech) market, violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, and seeks to force Google to divest significant portions of its AdTech business.

• Google requests to move the case to New York, which Judge Leonie Brinkema denies.
• Google files a motion to dismiss; Brinkema denies it, allowing the case to proceed.

• Google seeks the recusal of Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, citing bias. Judge Brinkema denies this request.

• The court announces the trial will begin on Sept. 9, 2024.

• Google files for summary judgment, arguing the DOJ miscalculated its market share.
• Google successfully moves to strike the DOJ’s jury trial demand; the trial is set to proceed before a magistrate judge.

• The trial opens before Judge Brinkema and concludes in three weeks.
• DOJ presents evidence that Google used acquisitions (notably DoubleClick and AdMeld) and integration strategies to dominate the AdTech market, locking in customers and disadvantaging rivals.
• Witnesses testify about Google’s practices, including preferential treatment for its own ad exchange and restrictive policies that harmed publishers and competitors.

• Both sides deliver closing arguments, with DOJ emphasizing Google’s anticompetitive conduct and Google defending its business practices as innovative and responsive to competition.

• Judge Brinkema rules that Google illegally acquired and maintained monopoly power in two key AdTech markets: the publisher ad server market and the ad exchange market for open-web display advertising.
• The court finds that Google’s contractual and technological integration of its publisher ad server and ad exchange enabled it to entrench its monopoly, harm competition, and disadvantage publishers and consumers.
• Brinkema schedules a future hearing to determine remedies, with the DOJ seeking divestiture of Google’s AdTech businesses, especially Google Ad Manager.

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