Matthew Wheatland, Chief Digital Officer at dailymail.com, testified in a landmark antitrust trial accusing Google of monopolising digital advertising.
Wheatland, called by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) as their sole witness to rebut Google’s defense, stated that publishers are effectively forced to use Google’s advertising products, despite claims that competition from other platforms like Facebook and TikTok challenges its dominance.
The DOJ argues that Google’s ad technology tools keep 36 cents of every dollar, depriving publishers of significant revenue and pushing them into reliance on programmatic advertising, where Google controls both ad buying and selling processes.
Google, in its defense, argues that the shift in advertiser spending to social media and apps affects the overall market.
However, Wheatland countered that this shift does not benefit publishers who are still bound to Google’s ad tech infrastructure. He explained the difficulty of selling direct ads and pointed to the higher costs of direct sales compared to programmatic options.
The trial, which could force Google to divest parts of its ad business, is set to conclude with closing arguments in late November, with Judge Leonie Brinkema determining the outcome.
