Google Exerted Monopoly Power in Online Advertising Tools, Judge Rules

If the two recent monopoly rulings against Google hold up upon appeal, Google could see business lines and tools getting sold off. New entrants may, in theory, ease the load for travel companies.

Travel advertisers such as Expedia, Trivago, and GetYourGuide have long-complained about Google's grip in online advertising. A federal judge's ruling Thursday that Google carried out anticompetitive acts to exert monopoly power in online advertising didn't explicitly address their concerns, but could shift the power dynamic.

Most of the criticism of Google's dominance in online travel advertising have centered around two concerns: Google giving more prominence to its own travel businesses, such as Google Hotels, than to rival businesses, and Google gutting organic links in favor of sponsored ads.

Many travel advertisers, including Booking.com, have been leaning into social media platforms s