In a landmark ruling, a federal judge has found Google guilty of violating antitrust laws by "willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power" in the advertising technology market. The decision marks the culmination of a two-year saga that began when the U.S. and eight states filed complaints against the Alphabet-owned company.

The court's ruling is a significant blow to Google's dominance in the ad tech industry, and the company now faces the possibility of being forced to break up its advertising business. The court will set a briefing schedule and hearing date to determine the appropriate remedies for the antitrust violations, which could include selling off its Google Ad Manager, including the AdX ad exchange and DFP (DoubleClick for Publishers), the ad server used by publishers.

Alternatively, the court could impose behavioral remedies that would allow Google to keep its business intact but would restrict its actions to ensure fair competition. This could include prohibiting Google from prioritizing its own exchange or demand in auctions, effectively leveling the playing field for other players in the market.

The ruling is not Google's first antitrust setback. In a separate case, another federal judge found last year that Google had illegally monopolized the general internet search market. While the judge has not yet issued remedies in that case, a decision is expected in mid-2025.

In the ad tech case, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema's memorandum opinion highlighted that the plaintiffs failed to prove that the "open-web display advertiser ad networks" are a relevant market where Google has monopoly power. However, the judge did agree that Google violated the Sherman Act by monopolizing and unlawfully tying two parts of the ad tech stack together, specifically DFP and AdX, and that Google is guilty of abuse of monopoly power in the publisher-side ad tech.

The implications of this ruling are far-reaching, and could have significant consequences for the entire digital advertising industry. Google's dominance in the ad tech market has long been a subject of controversy, with critics arguing that its control over multiple parts of the ad tech stack gives it an unfair advantage over competitors. This ruling could pave the way for greater competition and innovation in the industry.

As the court determines the appropriate remedies for Google's antitrust violations, the tech giant will likely face intense scrutiny from regulators, competitors, and advertisers. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the future of digital advertising, and could potentially reshape the industry's landscape.

This story is developing, and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.