During an ongoing antitrust trial against Google, a former executive’s statement has brought attention to the company’s aggressive approach in the online advertising industry. Evidence presented by prosecutors showed that in 2009, Google’s goal was to “crush” rival advertising networks. This claim aligns with the U.S. Department of Justice’s accusations that Google aimed to monopolise markets for publisher ad servers and advertiser ad networks.
On the third day of the trial, prosecutors shared internal notes from Google that highlighted the company’s strategy to dominate the ad tech market. In these notes, David Rosenblatt, who was Google’s president of display advertising at the time, said, “We’ll be able to crush the other networks and that’s our goal.” Rosenblatt joined Google when it acquired DoubleClick in 2008, and he left the following year, reports Reuters.
Also read: Google’s ad dominance under fire: High-stakes antitrust trial to kick off today
The notes from his talk highlighted how he discussed the benefits of controlling technology on both ends and the middle of the advertising market. “We’re both Goldman and NYSE,” he said.
“Google has created what’s comparable to the NYSE or London Stock Exchange; in other words, we’ll do to display what Google did to search,” Rosenblatt added.
According to Rosenblatt, Google’s control of ad servers for publishers gave them a “first look” at available ad space, making it extremely difficult for publishers to switch to other platforms. He described it as a “nightmare” for publishers to make such a move, saying, “It takes an act of God to do it.”
Also read: UK watchdog accuses Google of anti-competitive practices in online ad market
While Google denies allegations of monopolistic practices, claiming it faces tough competition from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, this testimony raises questions about its business practices. The trial could lead to significant changes for the tech giant, with prosecutors requesting that Google sell off its ad platform, Google Ad Manager, if found guilty of violating antitrust laws.
Also watch: