Landmark ruling: Judge delivers blow to Google, declares its ad empire an illegal monopoly that caused widespread harm to digital consumers

Google ad monopoly just took a major legal hit. A U.S. federal judge ruled that Google illegally dominates the digital advertising market, calling its actions harmful to publishers, rivals, and consumers. The court found Google violated antitrust laws by controlling both the ad server and ad exchange systems. With Alphabet shares falling and the Justice Department pushing for a breakup of its ad empire, this ruling could reshape how online ads work forever.