The US Department of Justice has taken a significant step towards breaking up Google's dominance in the digital advertising space by proposing that the tech giant sell two of its key ad tech products, AdX and DoubleClick for Publishers. This move comes after a judge found Google guilty of "willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power" in the digital ad space last month.

The DOJ's proposal, outlined in a new filing, aims to restore competition in the ad tech space by divesting Google of its ad exchange product AdX and phasing out the sale of DoubleClick for Publishers, an ad server for website publishers. The department is also seeking to prevent Google from running an ad exchange for 10 years post the sale of AdX. This move is seen as a major blow to Google's advertising business, which has long been criticized for its monopolistic practices.

The DOJ's allegations against Google are severe, accusing the company of "ensuring that publishers would lose significant revenue if they did not use AdX." The department also claims that Google created a monopoly by integrating AdX and DFP, forcing websites to use Google's publisher product. By proposing the sale of these products, the DOJ hopes to level the playing field and give other ad tech companies a chance to compete.

In addition to the proposed sale of AdX and DFP, the DOJ is also seeking to open up Google's ad buying tools, including AdWords, to work with all third-party ad tech products "on non-discriminatory terms with respect to bidding, matching, placement of ads, or provision of information, except at the express instruction of an advertiser." This move is seen as a major victory for advertisers and publishers who have long been at the mercy of Google's dominant ad tech platform.

Google, however, is pushing back against the DOJ's proposals, with VP of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland claiming that the measures would harm publishers and advertisers. "The DOJ conceded Google's proposed ad tech remedy fully addresses the Court's decision on liability. The DOJ's additional proposals to force a divestiture of our ad tech tools go well beyond the Court's findings, have no basis in law, and would harm publishers and advertisers," Mulholland said in a statement.

Google has proposed its own set of remedies in a separate filing, which include making AdX real-time bids available to all third-party ad servers, and keeping Google's actions under an independent compliance observer for three years. However, it remains to be seen whether these proposals will be enough to satisfy the DOJ's concerns.

This is not the only antitrust pressure Google is facing. The company is also under scrutiny for its dominance in the online search market, with the US government seeking to force the sale of its Chrome browser. As the tech giant faces increasing pressure from regulators around the world, it remains to be seen how it will respond to these challenges and adapt to a changing regulatory landscape.

The implications of the DOJ's proposal are far-reaching, with the potential to fundamentally alter the digital advertising landscape. As the ad tech industry waits with bated breath to see how this saga unfolds, one thing is clear: the days of Google's unchecked dominance in the ad tech space may finally be coming to an end.