U.S. federal judge has ruled that Google illegally holds monopoly power in two key online advertising technology markets: publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, which connect advertisers with website publishers. This marks a major legal setback for Google and supports the Justice Department’s case that the company’s exclusionary practices harmed competitors, publishers, and consumers by limiting competition and controlling critical ad tech infrastructure. The ruling opens the door for potential remedies, including forcing Google to divest parts of its advertising business to restore competition. Google plans to appeal the decision, arguing that its tools remain cost-effective and that competition exists from other players like Amazon. This is the second major antitrust ruling against Google in less than a year, following a similar verdict on its search monopoly, signaling increased scrutiny of the tech giant’s dominance in the digital economy