In federal court on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) presented internal Google documents, including emails, chat logs, and recordings, that revealed Google executives’ strategies in response to the rise of header bidding technology. Header bidding, a method that allows publishers to bypass Google’s ad infrastructure, became a threat to Google’s control over the online advertising market.
Despite being aware of the industry’s concerns about DoubleClick’s growing dominance, the documents suggest Google continued to implement monetization strategies and allegedly worked to prevent publishers from finding ways to reduce their reliance on Google.
Former Google product manager Rahul Srinivasan, who oversaw Google Ad Manager from 2016 to 2019, testified about the introduction of key features like first-price auctions and Unified Pricing Rules (UPR).
The DOJ questioned why Srinivasan labeled certain internal communications as attorney-client privileged when no legal matters were involved, implying that these discussions focused on sensitive business strategies rather than legal advice. Additionally, the DOJ highlighted emails where Srinivasan reminded his team to be cautious with communications that could later come under investigation.
DOJ Presents Internal Documents Exposing Google’s Strategies to Counter Header Bidding Threat in Antitrust Trial
The case revisits Google’s 2007 acquisition of DoubleClick, which was approved by regulators after the company promised to uphold competition and fairness in online advertising. However, new evidence suggests that over time, Google shifted its practices to strengthen its control.
By the mid-2010s, publishers attempted to reduce their dependence on Google by employing strategies like dynamic floor pricing, which often resulted in Google’s AdX losing out to rival ad exchanges. A 2018 email revealed Google executives discussing how to potentially disable this feature, raising questions about Google’s efforts to undermine competition.
During the trial, the DOJ also played an audio recording from a 2019 Google event where publishers raised concerns about the UPR rollout, fearing that it would reduce their control over ad pricing while benefiting Google. A publishing executive expressed skepticism about trusting Google’s actions.
In response, Google defended its changes, claiming they were aimed at improving transparency and fairness for publishers. However, internal communications showed Google executives were worried about how to present these updates without alarming publishers.
Testimonies from executives of ad tech companies such as PubMatic and The Trade Desk offered insight into their challenges when competing with Google. PubMatic CEO Rajeev Goel described how his company faced obstacles when trying to collaborate with Google, citing a 2009 email in which Google declined to integrate PubMatic’s services.
Despite attempts by Google attorneys to focus on growth in other areas of digital advertising, the DOJ emphasized that the trial is centered on Google’s control over the display ad market, specifically through its actions within the DoubleClick platform.
