

“Okay, Google, what’s a monopoly?”
Jan 30, 2023
Keach Hagey, a reporter at The Wall Street Journal specializing in media and technology, dives into the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Google. He reveals how this legal battle could revolutionize the online advertising landscape. Hagey discusses Google's ad dominance, the complexities of user tracking, and the potential legal ramifications of breaking up its business. The conversation also touches on the broader implications for digital advertising and competition, highlighting a critical moment for big tech and the future of the internet.
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Google's Ad Ecosystem
- Google's ad business involves three main components: publisher ad servers, ad exchanges, and buy-side tools.
- These tools facilitate the process of selling ad space on websites to advertisers.
Google's Market Dominance
- Google dominates all three parts of the ad tech market.
- Their dominance is particularly strong in the publisher ad server market with a 90% market share.
Google's Alleged Anti-Competitive Practices
- Google allegedly used its market power to stifle competition, favoring its own tools and manipulating auction dynamics.
- One example is "Project Poirot," where Google penalized publishers who used header bidding.