In a landmark ruling that could reshape the digital advertising landscape, a US federal judge has found Google liable for anti-trust violations, specifically in its control of the online advertising technology market. Judge Leonie Brinkema's decision marks a significant victory for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and raises the prospect of a potential breakup of Google's lucrative ad business.Key findings:?Çó The court determined that Google illegally monopolized the markets for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges.?Çó Specifically, the Judge found that Google had unlawfully tied its publisher ad server (DFP) and ad exchange (AdX) together.?Çó However, the court did not find sufficient evidence to support the claim that Google monopolized the advertiser ad network market.The DOJ, along with several US states, filed the anti-trust lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech giant had engaged in anticompetitive practices to maintain its dominance in the digital advertising sector. This case is separate from other anti-trust litigation that Google faces, including those related to its search engine dominance. The case has focused on Google?ÇÖs control over the "ad tech stack" the tools that publishers use to sell add space on their websites, and the tools that advertisers use to buy that space.Implications and next steps:The ruling now moves into the "remedies" phase, where the court will determine how to address Google's violations. The DOJ is pushing for a significant restructuring of Google's ad tech business, potentially including the forced sale of key assets like Google Ad Manager.?Çó Experts say that potential remedies could include forced divestitures of some of Googles ad tech assets, or regulations put in place to ensure more fair competition.?Çó The ruling has brought forward discussions about the potential for significant changes to the way that online advertising functions.The ruling has sent ripples throughout the digital advertising industry, with many publishers and advertisers closely watching the outcome of the remedies phase. There are concerns that any disruption of Googles ad tech could have negative impacts to the online advertising ecosystem.This ruling is the latest in a series of legal challenges that Big Tech companies are facing, as regulators increasingly scrutinize their market power.