EPC applauds US court ruling against Google monopoly in online advertising

A landmark U.S. court ruling against Google that could reshape the digital advertising economy not just in the USA but in Europe too. Yesterday, a US federal judge found that Google violated antitrust laws by “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in the advertising technology market, two-years after the U.S. Justice Department and eight states filed its complaints.

In a major win for publishers, the U.S. District Court has found Google liable for monopolising the open web publisher ad server and ad exchange markets and unlawfully tying its publisher ad server (DFP) with its ad exchange (AdX)—core elements of the digital ad supply chain.

Angela Mills Wade, EPC’s Executive Director said: “this confirms what publishers have long argued: the ad tech market has been structurally tilted in Google’s favour. The Court’s findings validate concerns that publishers have been boxed into using Google’s tools, losing control, transparency, and revenue in the process”.

The decision is U.S.-specific—but the implications are global.

With similar concerns under active investigation by the European Commission, this ruling adds serious momentum. The EC has already proposed the divestiture of parts of Google’s ad tech stack—and this decision could well presage a comparable outcome in Europe.For publishers, this is more than a legal victory—it’s a critical moment of leverage. It opens the door for more competition, fairer terms, and potentially new remedies in both transatlantic and domestic regulatory arenas.

The message is clear: the era of unchecked dominance in ad tech is coming to an end, said Angela.