HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut Attorney General William Tong hailed a landmark decision Wednesday from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, which ruled that Google violated federal antitrust laws by illegally maintaining a monopoly in the digital advertising technology market.
“This is a game-changer,” said Tong. “As Judge Brinkema writes in her decision, Google was in direct violation of the Sherman Act by dictating how digital ads are sold and the terms under which its rivals can compete.”
The ruling comes more than a year after Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of eight state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice in filing suit against Google in January 2023.
The lawsuit charged Google with engaging in anticompetitive conduct that allegedly suppressed competition in ad-tech markets for over 15 years.
According to the suit, Google gained control over critical advertising tools by acquiring major platforms and leveraging its dominance to disadvantage rivals.
The court found that Google’s practices stifled fair competition and harmed businesses and consumers nationwide, including in Connecticut.
“With this victory in hand, we can hopefully work now towards restoring a fair, free, and competitive digital advertising marketplace,” Tong said.
“This decision is the first step in opening up competition so that Connecticut businesses and consumers will pay less for advertising – and therefore less for goods and services.”
The ruling follows a separate August 2024 legal victory in which Tong and 38 attorneys general, alongside the DOJ, won a decision proving Google also held a monopoly in the online search market.
