Google Manipulated Digital Ad Prices and Hurt Publishers, per DOJ

Great article, which is why it’s a shame when they make mistakes like this:

“Google’s advertising revenues — including YouTube Ads — make up a sizable 80 percent of the giant’s total revenues.”

This is surely true but super misleading; display ads are a pittance compared to their search advertising revenues. Doesn’t mean the lawsuit is wrong, but I’ve seen this exact mistake in multiple discussions of this suit since it was first announced, leading lay readers to assume the outcome would significantly affect google either way. Sadly/happily, I say as a display ads dev: not the case.

A lot of concrete allegations compared to the search monopolization case I feel like. But with how slow these cases go, who knows how long it'll take to break up the ad server monopoly even if its successful

"With “Project Bell,” Google allegedly penalized publishers that did not give preferential access to AdX’s buyers, including Google Ads, by paying those publishers less revenues once an ad was placed. "

"if publishers tried to use a rival source of advertising demand for ‘first-look’ access to inventory, Google reduced bids by about 20 percent"

Digital advertising is the scam. The entire market of it is premised on serving (views which are then corroborated by the same seller) with no independent insight, audits, etc....

I sold 1000 views per second....and guess what it was a real bargain for you....I didn't charge the max for those views because they were not worth it.....no one clicked your stuff yet, but we served the content!!! don't worry, we will retarget those people until they click (how much left to spend?)

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oh boy! You got 5% ROI!! profitable!!! (in our platform based on our calcs ahaha)

(how much was the cost per unit? oh ...200% strange....)

There is an example slide on page 63 of DOJ lawsuit. It shows example two top GDN bids, $1.00 and $0.96, and example two Bernake AdX bids $1.20 and $0.48. Suppose that another ad exchange bids $0.98 and Google wins the auction. What the GDN advertiser pays, $1.00, $0.98, $0.96?

Keep the pressure on Google! Otherwise it’ll escape once again and remain a monopoly. And we all will pay.

Very Nice article. What about the organic search?

Sundar Pichai strikes again!

I want to quote Nate Diaz post-fight interview after defeating Conor McGregor on UFC 196 : "I'm not surprised, mother**s!"

I initially interpreted the title with Google as a verb and wondered why the DOJ would ask people to search for manipulated ad prices to hurt publishers.

Just for a moment.