Google’s ad business could be broken up
Google’s illegal monopoly control over the internet ad market may lead to it having to sell off AdX and DFP if the U.S. Department of Justice has its way.
U.S. regulators have been on a tear in recent years targeting what they believe are illegal monopolies. At the top of that list is Google, first for its search platform, and now for its ad platform.
According to a new filing by the U.S. Department of Justice, covered by Reuters, the AdX digital marketplace and DFP platform should be sold off. AdX is where companies bid for ad placement on websites, and DFP is the ad management platform.
The proposal comes after U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema found Google liable for “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in the ad auction and management systems. A hearing will be held Friday to hear proposals from Google and the DOJ.
Google says that the DOJ cannot legally pursue a sell-off of its ad businesses, but it is open to other remedies. For example, it says it could allow competitors access to real-time bids on ad spaces.
It could take considerable time before the judge provides a definitive ruling that requires Google to act. Google Search was declared an illegal monopoly one year ago, and little has happened in the meantime besides a push for the company to sell Chrome.
