Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti applauded a federal court’s recent ruling in a federal antitrust case against Google, which found that the tech company violated the law by maintaining illegal monopolies in the digital advertising technology industry.
On April 17, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act by unlawfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power in the open-web display publisher ad server market and the open-web display ad exchange market.
When Google reinforces interlocking products to exclude competition in ad sales, it’s bad for content producers, it's bad for publishers, and ultimately it's bad for everyone.
TN was proud to be part of this coalition to hold big tech accountable.
➡️https://t.co/p8xXlUbmO9 pic.twitter.com/u99QJgdEVY
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) April 21, 2025
The court additionally found that Google unlawfully tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange products in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.
The 115-page ruling by the court reads:
With the benefit of a three-week bench trial and extensive post-trial filings, the Court finds that Plaintiffs…have proven that Google has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act by willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power in the open-web display publisher ad server market and the open-web display ad exchange market, and has unlawfully tied its publisher ad server (DFP) and ad exchange (AdX) in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act
Having found Google liable, the Court will set a briefing schedule and hearing date to determine the appropriate remedies for these antitrust violations.
Last week’s ruling comes more than two years after Skrmetti, the U.S. Department of Justice, and 17 other state attorneys general sued Google in January 2023, accusing the tech giant of dominating the digital advertising market.
The plaintiffs claimed that Google’s control over nearly all aspects of online ad sales allows it to charge advertisers more and pay publishers less, which harms both consumers and publishers by making it harder for websites to earn sufficient revenue from ads and forcing them to consider paywalls, subscriptions, or other means to generate advertising revenue.
Skrmetti, noting how Google’s practices “stifle competition and harm website publishers, advertisers, and consumers,” said Tennessee is “proud” to have played a part in protecting consumers and holding the tech giant “accountable.”
“When Google reinforces interlocking products to exclude competition in ad sales, it’s bad for content producers, it’s bad for publishers, and ultimately it’s bad for everyone,” Skrmetti added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Jonathan Skrmetti” by Tennessee Attorney General.
