Google’s ad empire under fire over claims it manipulates market

Lawyers say Google, using its position as a middleman that controls the market from end to end, drives up the price of ads while paying less to the websites that show them

Google holds the top spot in the global digital ad market, which has grown to $676.9bn (€610.8bn), according to 2024 projections by research firm EMarketer. File Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA

Alphabet’s Google returned to court this week to face US Justice Department allegations that it manipulates the $677bn (€610.9bn) display advertising market, in violation of competition laws, a month after losing a landmark ruling that it illegally dominates online search.

The department and a coalition of eight states have accused Google of over the years acquiring the tools used to buy, sell, and serve ads on the internet, locking up the technology behind website ads, and harming publishers and advertisers.