It’s official: A new chapter is opening in the ongoing battle against Google‘s dominance in the digital advertising (AdTech) world. Following a major U.S. District Court ruling, digital advertising platform PubMatic has announced a lawsuit against Google. PubMatic claims that the tech giant’s monopolistic control has illegally harmed its business and the broader online ecosystem.
This lawsuit is a direct follow-up to the U.S. District Court’s clear ruling from April 2025. This ruling found that Google illegally obtained and maintained monopolies in the markets where digital ads are bought and sold. The court’s finding was clear: Google used improper and exclusionary policies to push advertisers and publishers toward its own platform, AdX. The practices of the Mountain View giant “substantially harm[ed]” the competitive landscape.
PubMatic’s lawsuit challenges Google’s ad market dominance
PubMatic’s lawsuit isn’t just a general complaint; it details exactly how Google’s alleged tactics stifled competition. The company claims that Google’s control over both the buy and sell sides of the ad market gave it an unfair advantage. This allegedly allowed it to leverage data and secure priority access to ad inventory in ways that rivals couldn’t.
The lawsuit highlights several specific practices that allegedly gave Google an unfair edge:
“First Look”: A policy that reportedly gave Google’s AdX the first chance to buy an ad impression. This allegedly often occurred before rival exchanges even had the opportunity to bid.
“Last Look”: This tactic allegedly allowed AdX to see competing bids in what should have been a sealed auction. The practice allegedly gave Google the chance to outbid rivals by a small amount, like a single cent.
Unified Pricing Rules: This policy is accused of preventing publishers from setting price floors that would favor ad exchanges other than Google’s.
According to PubMatic, these actions limited its ability to grow and compete, directly resulting in lost business opportunities and revenue.
The potential impact on the open internet
The lawsuit argues that Google’s dominance has had far-reaching consequences that go beyond just harming competitors like PubMatic. The company asserts that Google’s illegal actions have led to higher costs for advertisers and reduced revenue for publishers. Overall, the result would have been a less transparent and fair ecosystem for everyone.
PubMatic’s goal with this litigation is to restore a level playing field. They want an open internet that remains a source of information and opportunity for everyone. PubMatic Co-Founder and CEO Rajeev Goel stated, “The future of this industry will not be decided by dominance or coercion, but by the strength of ideas, the power of innovation, and the trust we earn.”
The lawsuit is also seeking substantial damages—potentially in the billions of dollars, according to the complaint. However, it will not interrupt day-to-day business for PubMatic’s customers. The company assures that its operations, customer relationships, and platform integrations will continue as usual. The lawsuit focuses on long-term market change rather than short-term disruption.
Suits against Google are piling up
It’s noteworthy that your cases are distinct from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust case against Google. The latter established the legal foundation that Google acted as a monopolist. However, the DOJ’s case did not address compensation for the companies that were harmed. PubMatic’s lawsuit aims to fill that gap, using the precedents of the prior case to seek redress for the damages it has suffered.
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