The government’s latest proposal was filed late Monday in a Virginia federal court two-and-half weeks after a federal judge ruled that its lucrative digital ad network has been improperly abusing its market power to stifle competition to the detriment of online publishers.
In a 17-page filing, Justice Department lawyers argued that U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema should punish Google by ordering the company to offload its AdX business and DFP ad platform, tools that bring together advertisers, who want to market their products, and publishers, who want to sell commercial space on their sites, to bring in revenue.
The government also is seeking other restrictions, including a 10-year ban on Google from operating a digital ad exchange, to undercut the power of a “recidivist monopolist.”
This is damned difficult to believe from the Trump administration. My prediction is, it’s pressure to get something out of Google — probably a promise to make search results more MAGA friendly, or finger people making un-Trump-friendly search inquiries. End result, a fine at best. There’s just No Frickin’ Way this administration would actually do something to rein in Google.
More likely take a page out of the Chinese Firewall’s book and flag people looking for immigration rights, trans support or how the 2nd Amendment was meant to be used.