Google's Ad Monopoly Ruling Sparks Outrage Among Tech Watchdogs

A federal judge has ruled in favor of Google's digital advertising monopoly, leaving tech watchdogs disappointed and critics calling it an 'embarrassing capitulation'. US District Judge Leonie Brinkema ordered Google to share more data about its ad auctions with publishers and appoint an independent antitrust monitor, but the changes will only be enforced for six years.

The ruling was made public roughly two weeks after Brinkema said she would not order a forced breakup of Google's ad empire. The company retains control of its 'AdX' marketplace, where it extracts a 20% fee to conduct online ad sales in real-time.

Barry Lynn, director of the Open Markets Institute, called the decision an 'embarrassing capitulation' that lets Google determine its own punishment in exchange for a promise not to repeat the behavior. He added that Judge Brinkema's decision fails the American people and American democracy.