Crunch time looms for Google's ad tech monopoly: Total break-up or trust Google to fix it?

This article examines the ongoing antitrust trial where the U.S. Department of Justice seeks to break up Google's advertising technology monopoly after decades of alleged anticompetitive behavior.

The two-week trial revealed Google's extraordinary dominance over digital advertising, controlling 91% of the ad-server market and processing 252 trillion ad requests annually. The Justice Department argues that only forced divestiture of Google's ad server and exchange can restore competition, while Google claims such structural changes would "break the web" and offers data sharing as an alternative solution.

• Publishers and ad tech executives testified about Google's arbitrary contract terms and ability to change prices without notice
• Industry witnesses described how Google's monopolistic practices have made ad innovation "anaemic" and left publishers financially struggling
• PubMatic's CEO revealed how Google deliberately disabled competitor technology with bugs and had no incentive to fix them
• Judge Brinkema is expected to deliver her verdict before Christmas, which will determine whether publishers can rebuild sustainable advertising revenue or remain dependent on Google's ecosystem