Google faces US government in court over ad tech monopoly

New Delhi: Google will appear in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia on Friday as the US Department of Justice presses for measures to address what it calls anti-competitive practices in the company’s digital advertising network, according to news reports.

The proceedings follow a lengthy trial last year in which US District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that parts of Google’s advertising technology were operated in a manner that constituted an illegal monopoly. The current hearing is intended to determine how the company should remedy the practices that led to that ruling.

Lawyers for both Google and the Justice Department presented closing arguments during an 11-day trial earlier this fall. The government is seeking a forced divestiture of certain ad technology assets, arguing that such a step is necessary to curb a “recidivist monopolist” that has allegedly leveraged its dominance not only in digital advertising but also in search.

Google has opposed the proposed break-up, citing the complexity of its systems and potential disruption to millions of ad transactions handled by the network each day. “This is technology that absolutely has to keep working for consumers,” the company said in court filings, adding that the government’s plan involves “legally unprecedented and unsupported divestitures.”

The company has also suggested that market shifts driven by artificial intelligence will increase competition in digital advertising, and that planned internal reforms could enhance transparency and encourage fairer pricing without dismantling the system.

In prior rulings, Judge Amit Mehta rejected proposals that would have forced Google to sell its Chrome browser, and the company’s market value surged following the decisions. Nevertheless, the Justice Department is pressing the court to act, highlighting testimony from trial witnesses who detailed ways in which Google could manipulate algorithms to sustain its market control, according to news reports.

A final ruling from Judge Brinkema is expected in early 2026, following consideration of the arguments from both sides regarding remedies and the potential impact on consumers and the broader digital advertising ecosystem.