Alphabet’s Google is planning to appeal against part of a recent US court ruling in an antitrust case brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ), reported Reuters.

The decision, issued on 17 April 2025 by US District Judge Leonie Brinkema, found that the company had willfully acquired and maintained monopoly power.

Brinkema concluded that Google illegally dominated two sectors within the online advertising technology market

Brinkema said: “The possession of monopoly power in the relevant market and the willful acquisition or maintenance of that power as distinguished from growth or development as a consequence of a superior product, business acumen, or historic accident.”

“This exclusionary conduct substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web.”

The court’s decision paves the way for a subsequent hearing to determine remedial actions Google must take, potentially including divesting parts of its advertising business.

In response, Google said that the judge had issued a mixed ruling.

While the DOJ failed to demonstrate that Google’s advertiser tools or acquisitions of DoubleClick and AdMeld were anticompetitive, the court found Google’s publisher tools to be in violation of antitrust laws by excluding competition.

The DOJ had suggested that Google should be required to divest its Google Ad Manager, including the company’s publisher ad server and ad exchange.

Google is also facing a class action lawsuit in the UK, with potential damages over £5bn ($6.62bn), for allegedly using its dominant market position to inflate prices.

The lawsuit was filed last week at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal by competition law expert Dr. Or Brook.