Industry Insight: What Google’s Antitrust Ruling Means for Advocacy and Issue Advertising
For the second time in a year, a federal court has ruled that Google illegally maintained monopolies in key areas of the digital ad ecosystem.
The latest ruling targets Google’s dominance over both its ad server and ad exchange. The court found that this dual control allowed Google to favor its own marketplace, stifling competition and making it harder for publishers and advertisers to access alternative partners, pricing, or inventory options.
This follows an earlier antitrust decision from August 2024, in which Google was found to have illegally monopolized the search market by securing exclusive deals that made it the default engine on most devices.
Both rulings set the stage for future hearings where the court will determine what steps Google must take to restore competition, including the potential sale of parts of its ad tech business. Google is expected to appeal, and no timeline has been set for these next phases.
Here’s what political advertisers need to know:
Programmatic Advertising Could Shift
If Google is forced to divest parts of its ad tech stack, it could open up the programmatic ecosystem, leading to more competition and giving publishers and advertisers greater choice in how and where they buy and sell ads. It could also drive down costs by breaking up Google’s control over pricing and fees across the ad supply chain.
On the flip side, some experts caution that dismantling Google’s ad tech operations could lead to unforeseen challenges, like added complexity and higher costs for publishers and advertisers who depend on streamlined, integrated platforms.
Search Advertising Could See Long-Term Impacts
The potential remedies following the August 2024 ruling could chip away at Google’s stronghold in search, allowing other engines to grow their market share and creating a more fragmented landscape. But big changes are already underway outside of these rulings, as AI tools have begun to disrupt how people search and discover information, signaling a shift in how advertisers will need to think about search going forward. These tools currently don’t serve ads, adding a new layer of complexity to an already evolving space.
YouTube Advertising Remains Unaffected
Political advertisers can rest easy, as neither case impacts YouTube, which remains a key channel for digital campaigns. With massive reach, including younger and diverse voters, YouTube remains a strong medium for getting in front of voters heading into 2026.
We are keeping a close eye on this and how it reshapes digital ad buying ahead of the 2026 election.
