A second judge in the United States has ruled that Google holds an illegal monopoly, marking the second time in less than a year the tech giant has faced such a judgment.

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The latest ruling, delivered on Thursday by Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia, found that Google unfairly dominated certain online advertising platforms, giving it an unlawful advantage in the market.

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This case focused on the tools used for placing online ads. While the exact consequences of the ruling will be determined later, it adds to growing legal pressure on the company.

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The U.S. government first filed the lawsuit in 2023, accusing Google of violating antitrust laws in two out of three advertising markets.

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This latest decision follows a similar defeat for Google last August, when a judge in Washington ruled the company maintained an unfair monopoly over internet search.

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In response to the new ruling, Google stated that it plans to appeal.

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“We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools. Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective,” Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president for regulatory affairs, posted on X.

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A trial to decide the outcome of the recent ruling against Google is scheduled to begin next week.

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The U.S. Justice Department is asking the court to order Google to sell off its Chrome web browser and Android mobile operating system businesses.

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