Google made its final arguments in a long-running case against the US Justice Department over whether it must divest its ad tech practices. However, according to a report, the judge presiding over the case may be looking to end the case before Google gets a chance to appeal. reuters,
On Friday, both sides delivered their closing statements in the lawsuit, where the Justice Department accused the tech giant of illegally monopolizing the ad tech market. While U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled in April that Google has a monopoly in the online adtech sector, the judge recently asked the Justice Department how quickly the anti-competitive measure could go into effect, saying “timing is of the essence.”
According to the report, Google’s lawyer, Karen Dunn, argued that forcing Google to sell its ad tech subsidiary would be excessive and would harm customers in the process. Google is also reportedly planning to appeal the latest decision. according to reutersBrinkema said any measure “likely would not be easily enforceable pending an appeal”, meaning Google could forcefully delay the sale until the appeal is concluded. Meanwhile, Google is facing a $3.5 billion fine for violating EU antitrust laws within the adtech industry.