On September 30, 2026, a federal judge in New York ruled that a group of approximately 5,000 publishers, including USA Today and Daily Mail, may proceed with a lawsuit against Google. The plaintiffs allege that the company monopolized digital advertising technology markets.
Judge P. Kevin Castel denied Google's motion for summary judgment regarding major antitrust claims. The court upheld the damages models used by the publishers, which estimate losses exceeding $3.2 billion. Much of the case focuses on alleged misconduct related to the AdX advertising exchange.
Under US antitrust law, damages may be trebled, potentially increasing the total financial exposure. While the judge dismissed specific claims brought under New York state law, the case will now proceed to trial. No trial date has been scheduled yet.
This ruling follows a 2025 decision by Judge Leonie Brinkema, who previously found that Google illegally monopolized publisher ad servers and exchanges. Following the latest court announcement, Alphabet shares experienced a decline.
