Google expert at antitrust trial says government underestimates competition for online ad dollars

AP Business Writer

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — An expert witness testifying for Google says an antitrust case brought against the tech giant drastically underestimates the company’s competition. Economist Mark Israel testified Thursday for Google during the third week of trial in Alexandria, Virginia. The Justice Department and several states contend Google holds an illegal monopoly over the technology that matches online advertisers to publishers, a multibillion-dollar industry. Israel says the government’s case doesn’t account for changes that have occurred in online advertising over the past 10 years. In particular, the government fails to recognize that social media companies and online retailers like Amazon are competing directly with Google.