Project Poirot, the DOJ and the Unintended Consequences of Google’s Divesture

Splitting off GAM could push marketers toward Google’s owned and operated properties

The clamor to split up Google’s ad-tech business got a lot louder (and more specific) this week. And while divesting its ad tech units will certainly shake up the display ad ecosystem, not all the outcomes would necessarily be beneficial for marketers.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is pursuing a divestiture of Google’s sell-side ad tech stack under Google Ad Manager, including its ad exchange AdX and its publisher ad server DFP. This has been spurred by claims that Google systematically diverted business away from rival ad exchanges, underpaid publishers and limited marketers’ supply, all to benefit its own ad business, the DOJ’s lawsuit alleges.

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