Attorney General Bonta Secures Ad Tech Antitrust Win Against Google

Decision finds Google abused control of its ad technology, in violation of antitrust law 

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement after a federal judge ruled that Google willfully acquired and maintained an unlawful monopoly of publisher ad servers and ad exchanges in United States et al. v. Google. The court further found that Google unlawfully tied its publisher ad server and its ad exchange together and imposed anticompetitive policies on its customers in order to establish and protect its monopoly power in these two markets. In 2023, Attorney General Bonta joined the U.S. Department of Justice in suing Google, claiming that the company leverages control over the technologies through which web display ads are bought and sold, driving out competition and receiving profits that far exceed what could be sustained in a competitive market.

“Advertising is key to a business’s success, and Google has been playing unfairly in the advertising space. Google’s illegal control over ad tech markets has hurt consumers, small businesses, and website creators, increased prices for advertising products, reduced competition for advertising technologies, and has stifled creativity in a space where innovation is crucial,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As the fifth largest economy in the world, California has an outsized role in protecting competition and a vibrant economy where business can thrive on merits, not on illegal business practices — today, we’ve done just that.”

Following today’s decision, the parties will return to court, where the judge will hear arguments and evidence regarding potential remedies for Google’s conduct. California, the U.S. Department of Justice, and coalition states seek to block Google’s anticompetitive practices and impose a remedy to both deny Google the fruits of its unlawful conduct and to prevent further harm to competition in the future. 

Attorney General Bonta is committed to protecting consumers and competition in the technology industries. In August 2024, Attorney General Bonta issued a statement following a federal judge’s ruling that Google maintained an unlawful monopoly of internet search services and general search text ads. In September 2022, Attorney General Bonta sued Amazon, alleging that the company stifled competition and increased prices across California through anticompetitive contracting practices. 

ANTITRUST AND YOU:

Antitrust enforcement is an essential component of a healthy economy. Competitive marketplaces established through antitrust vigilance help consumers by ensuring fair prices for goods and services, an array of products to choose from, quality goods and services, and the steady introduction of innovative new products. As part of the Attorney General’s commitment to enforce antitrust laws, the California Department of Justice has just launched its new Antitrust Complaint Form! Please click here to report anticompetitive conduct that potentially violates the antitrust laws.

A copy of the decision can be found here.