A federal judge has ruled that Google will not face a jury trial over its alleged dominance in digital advertising, following the company’s payment of $2.3 million to settle the government’s demand for monetary penalties.
In antitrust cases, non-monetary demands are decided directly by judges, and Google’s payment means it avoids a jury trial. The company had stated that it would have been the first-ever jury trial in a civil antitrust case brought by the U.S. Justice Department.
Last year, the Justice Department and a coalition of states sued the tech giant, accusing it of unlawfully monopolising digital advertising and overcharging users. The lawsuit aims primarily to dismantle Google’s digital advertising business to foster more competition.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, made the ruling on Friday and scheduled the non-jury trial for September 9, where she will hear arguments and decide the case directly.
Google has denied any wrongdoing and stated it was not admitting liability by making the damages payment. Last month, Google noted that the government, which initially sought over $100 million in damages, later requested less than $1 million. Google’s $2.3 million payment covers interest and accounts for the possibility of damages being tripled under U.S. antitrust law.
The tech giant had accused the federal government of fabricating its monetary damages claim to ensure a jury trial. The Justice Department responded that it was open to resolving the monetary damages aspect of the case, but only if Google paid a larger amount.