Google has announced its intention to appeal a portion of the recent ruling in the antitrust case brought against it in the United States. The tech giant, in a statement released by Lee-Anne Mulholland, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, claimed a partial victory, highlighting that the Court found its advertiser tools and acquisitions like DoubleClick do not harm competition.
However, Mulholland expressed disagreement with the Court’s decision concerning Google’s publisher tools. In a tweet that has since been widely circulated, she stated, “We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half. The Court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition. We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools. Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective.”
The antitrust lawsuit, filed by the US Department of Justice, alleged that Google had monopolized the digital advertising technology market. While the specifics of the Court’s findings regarding publisher tools were not immediately clear, Mulholland’s statement suggests that this aspect of Google’s business practices was deemed anti-competitive.
Google’s decision to appeal indicates a continued legal battle over its ad tech dominance. The outcome of this appeal could have significant implications for the online advertising landscape and the relationship between publishers and technology platforms.
The duration of the appeals process remains uncertain, but in the interim, the ruling instructs the court to explore potential remedies. The Department of Justice (DOJ) anticipates asserting that the sole remedy is the dissolution of Google and its sales subsidiary.