US takes on Googles ad tech empire in antitrust trial [Video]

Google faces its second major antitrust trial in less than a year on Monday, with the US government accusing the tech giant of dominating online advertising and stifling competition.

The trial in a federal court in northern Virginia follows a separate case where a judge last month found Google’s search business to be an illegal monopoly.

This new battle, also brought by the US Department of Justice, focuses on ad technology – the complex system determining which online ads people see and their cost.

The US government specifically alleges that Google controls the market for publishing banner ads on websites, including those of many creators and news providers.

“Google has used anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful means to eliminate or severely diminish any threat to its dominance over digital advertising technologies,” the complaint states.

Government lawyers will claim Google has used its financial power to acquire potential rivals and corner the …