A trial many anticipated to fizzle has delivered a bombshell: Choose Leonie Brinkema dominated Google illegally monopolized digital promoting, organising a treatments part that would drive main adjustments to its advert tech stack. However with Google already shedding floor in advert tech and the net fragmenting into retail media, walled gardens, and AI-native platforms, the treatments could really feel like too little, too late.
Why we care. The DOJ needs to unwind Google’s dominance by weakening its advert alternate (AdX) and prying open its public sale logic. Publishers and advertisers argue this might degree the enjoying discipline. If public sale logic is opened up and interoperability enforced, advertisers may even see extra competitors, higher pricing, and better transparency. But when the treatments stall or show symbolic, the established order stays – whereas spend continues shifting towards walled gardens and retail media networks.
Zoom in:
The DOJ’s asks. Strip AdX from DFP, open-source public sale logic, and revisit divestiture if competitors doesn’t enhance.
Google’s counter. Interoperability with rival advert servers, no “first look” or “final look” privileges, and scrapping unified pricing guidelines—with out divestiture.
Witnesses. Executives from DailyMail.com, AWS, PubMatic, and Index Trade will testify towards Google, whereas Google leans by itself engineers and Columbia College consultants.
Between the strains. Even when the courtroom forces treatments, Google’s grip on show advertisements has already slipped as advertisers shift spend into walled gardens and AI-driven platforms. The ruling might find yourself extra symbolic than transformative.
What’s subsequent. Testimony runs Sept. 22–30, with a ruling anticipated in 2026. Till then, the advert trade is bracing for a call that would both shake up—or barely dent—the way forward for the open internet.
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Anu Adegbola has been Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video and extra. In 2008, Anu’s profession began with delivering digital advertising and marketing campaigns (principally however not solely Paid Search) by constructing methods, maximising ROI, automating repetitive processes and bringing effectivity from each a part of advertising and marketing departments by way of inspiring management each on company, consumer and advertising and marketing tech aspect. Outdoors enhancing Search Engine Land article she is the founding father of PPC networking occasion – PPC Stay and host of weekly podcast PPC Stay The Podcast.
She can also be a global speaker with a few of the levels she has introduced on being SMX (US, UK, Munich, Berlin), Pals of Search (Amsterdam, NL), brightonSEO, The Advertising and marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Stay, AdWorld Expertise (Bologna, IT) and extra.
