Google Found Guilty: What It Means for Your Ads

On April 17, 2025, a U.S. federal judge ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by illegally dominating the digital advertising market.

In simple terms, the court found that Google unfairly controlled two key parts of the online ad system:

• Publisher Ad Servers (which help websites show ads)
• Ad Exchanges (which run the auctions that decide which ads appear)

The judge said Google used its power to shut out competition, making it harder for other companies to enter the space—and hurting both advertisers and publishers in the process.

However, the court ruled in Google’s favor on one point: they did not find Google guilty of having a monopoly in tools that advertisers use directly, like Google Ads itself.

Google’s Response

Google plans to appeal the ruling. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s VP of Regulatory Affairs, issued the following statement:

“We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half. The Court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition. We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools.”

Nothing Changes Right Now

No penalties have been decided yet. A separate trial will determine what, if anything, Google has to do—such as selling off parts of its ad business. Google is also appealing the ruling, and it’s likely that nothing will change until after the appeal is resolved, which could take months or even years.

So if you run Google Ads, your campaigns continue as usual for now.

What This Could Mean for You (in Simple Terms)

Here’s what this ruling could mean down the road for businesses and marketers who rely on Google Ads:

Potential Positives

• More Competition Could Lower Costs
  If Google is forced to give up some control, more companies may enter the ad space. That added competition could reduce ad prices and improve service.
• More Transparency
  Google Ads can sometimes feel like a “black box.” If the system becomes more open or regulated, it could give advertisers more clarity into where their money is going.
• Better Support for Businesses
  More competition means platforms may need to work harder to win your business—potentially leading to better tools, service, and user-friendly features.

Potential Negatives

• Short-Term Confusion or Changes
  If major changes are implemented, advertisers could see temporary disruption in how ads are managed or where they’re shown.
• Less Integration (at least temporarily)
  One strength of Google Ads is how everything works together—search, video, display, analytics. If tools are split off, that seamless experience could take a hit.
• Uncertain Results While the Dust Settles
  As the case plays out and changes (if any) are rolled out, performance might fluctuate. It will be important to stay informed and flexible.

Bottom Line

If you’re an advertiser using Google Ads:

• There’s no need to panic. Nothing’s changing right away.
• This could be a long-term win for advertisers, especially smaller ones, with the potential for better pricing and more control.
• In the short term, keep running your campaigns, but stay informed and be ready to adapt.

We’ll continue monitoring the situation and will keep you updated if and when anything changes that could impact your campaigns.

Have questions about how this might affect your business?
Reach out to the Qantm Creative team—we’re here to help you stay ahead.