The antitrust lawsuit between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Google began its second week on September 16, 2024. The DOJ has charged Google with monopolizing the digital advertising technology (ad tech) market. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in 2023, Google allegedly used acquisitions to unfairly eliminate competitors and reinforce its dominance in the ad tech industry.
In defense, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan highlighted Google’s emphasis on innovation rather than anti-competitive practices. Mohan testified that Google’s dominance in digital advertising resulted from its innovative capabilities and improved services for business clients, including publishers and advertisers. He dismissed the DOJ’s accusations of Google eliminating competitors, pointing out that the company faced substantial competition in the ad tech industry.
Mohan emphasized that Google’s success stems from “product innovation” and providing superior tools and services, rather than suppressing rivals. He argued that the acquisitions were aimed at enhancing Google’s offerings, not at stifling competition.
However, the DOJ produced internal papers and emails as proof that Google purposefully bought rival companies to drive them out of business. The acquisition of DoubleClick in 2008, when Mohan joined, and AdMeld in 2011 are two significant acquisitions under consideration. These actions, according to the administration, were meant to lessen competition.
A major point of contention for the DOJ is the word “parking,” which first surfaced in an email exchange between Mohan and others in 2010 regarding the purchase of AdMeld. The DOJ understood the phrase to mean putting acquired businesses on hold in order to lessen competition. Mohan made it clear in his testimony that “parking” does not imply closing down or giving up on a business’s operations. Rather, it alluded to a gradual, maybe multi-year incorporation of the company’s technology into Google’s infrastructure.
Mohan underlined that rather than lessening competition, Google’s goal in purchasing these businesses was to enhance its advertising stack for publishers and create better tools for advertisers.
