The Capitol Forum Podcast Google’s Role in Digital Advertising with Ari Paparo
Jul 21, 2025
Ari Paparo, a digital advertising veteran and CEO of Markitecture Media, dives deep into Google's ad tech dominance and the resulting challenges. He discusses why publishers have lost control and critiques the DOJ's approach to Google's antitrust issues. Ari shares insights on the tangled history of the ad market, the real reasons behind Google's fierce resistance, and potential reforms that could lead to a more open digital advertising landscape. His insider perspective sheds light on the industry's future, including the growing importance of privacy-preserving technologies.
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Ari Paparo's Insider Ad Tech Career
- Ari Paparo has 20 years experience in ad tech, from DoubleClick to founding Beeswax and working at Google.
- His insider view includes being present in key meetings at Google before its dominance surge.
DoubleClick Acquisition Key
- Google's 2008 acquisition of DoubleClick was pivotal, giving them near monopoly in ad serving technology.
- Later actions like enabling third-party cookies and controlling ad server pricing features entrenched their dominance.
FTC's Missed Monitoring Opportunity
- The FTC approved the DoubleClick merger despite concerns, viewing it as a combination of complementary businesses.
- They pledged to monitor abuses but never took further action, enabling Google's growing dominance.
