A federal judge has scheduled a hearing for May 2 to explore potential remedies for Google, following a ruling that the tech giant unlawfully dominates key markets in online advertising. The U.S. Department of Justice, along with several states, are seeking corrective measures after a court found Google’s actions to be in violation of antitrust laws.
The hearing will take place in the Alexandria, Virginia court, with U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema overseeing the case. The session is set to provide a broad overview of potential remedies before narrowing down specific solutions. Brinkema’s decision stems from a landmark April 17 ruling where she declared Google guilty of “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in two critical areas: publisher ad servers and ad exchanges that connect buyers and sellers in the digital ad space.
This ruling marks the second time Google has been found to have a monopolistic grip on its markets. Last year, Judge Amit Mehta in Washington also ruled against the company, asserting that its exclusive agreements with major players like Samsung helped cement its dominance in search.
The Justice Department, which filed both lawsuits, is now considering remedies that could include the forced sale of parts of Google’s business, though the company has denied all allegations of anticompetitive behavior. Google has already signaled plans to appeal the decision and has not yet offered to sell its Chrome browser, despite its dominance in the search market.
The upcoming May hearing is likely to be pivotal in shaping the future of Google’s role in online advertising and search.
