Federal judge: Google runs an illegal monopoly

In a blow to tech giant Google, a move that could be a prelude to a breakup of the giant money-making machine, a federal judge has concluded that it operates an illegal monopoly over two markets related to digital advertising tech.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia found that Google is in violation of the Sherman Act because it dominates the online publisher ad server market and the ad-exchange market that connects ad buyers to sellers.

Google has illegally...