A US judge has ruled tech giant Google has a monopoly in online advertising technology.

The US Department of Justice, along with 17 US states, sued Google, arguing the tech giant was illegally dominating the technology which determines which adverts should be placed online and where.

This is the second antitrust case Google has lost in a year, after it was ruled the company also had a monopoly on online search.

Google said it would appeal against the decision.

“Publishers have many options and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable and effective,” the firm’s head of regulatory affairs Lee-Ann Mulholland said.

US district judge Leonie Brinkema said in the ruling Google had “wilfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts” which enabled it to “acquire and maintain monopoly power” in the market.

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

Google lost on two counts, while a third was dismissed.

“We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half,” Ms Mulholland said.

“The court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition.”

The ruling is a significant win for US antitrust enforcers, according to Laura Phillips-Sawyer, a professor at the University of Georgia School of Law.

“It signals that not only are agencies willing to prosecute but also that judges are willing to enforce the law against big tech firms,” she said.

She said the verdict sets an important legal precedent and is likely to affect decision-making in corporate America.

Google’s lawyers had argued the case focused too much on its past activities, and prosecutors ignored other large ad tech providers such as Amazon.

“Google has repeatedly used its market power to self-preference its own products, stifling innovation and depriving premium publishers worldwide of critical revenue needed to sustain high-quality journalism and entertainment,” said Jason Kint, head of Digital Content Next, a trade association representing online publishers.

(BBC News)

Chinese online retail giants Shein and Temu have warned US customers that goods will get pricier from next week, after President Donald Trump imposed hefty tariffs on goods from China.

In almost identical statements, the rival companies said they have seen operating expenses rise “due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs”, adding they will make “price adjustments” from 25 April.

The shopping sites have gained tens of millions of customers in the US, attracted by their ultra-low prices.

Their popularity has put pressure on Amazon, prompting it to launch a new platform called Haul last November, featuring items for under $20 (£15.10).

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed taxes of up to 145% on imports from China. His administration said this week that when the new tariffs are added on to existing ones the levies on some Chinese goods could reach 245%.

Trump has also ended a duty-free exemption for goods worth less than $800, which helped Shein and Temu make rapid inroads to the US market.

US lawmakers on both sides had raised concerns about how these companies had “exploited” the provision.

An estimated 1.4 billion packages entered the US under this arrangement last year, up from 140 million in 2013, according to US customs authorities.

Since Trump started imposing the tariffs, Shein and Temu have seen the ranking of their apps fall sharply.

Temu is now the 75th most downloaded free app on the US Apple Store, after having consistently taken one of the top five spots in the last two years. Shein is in 58th place, down from number 15 last month.

But other Chinese retail apps continue to be ranked highly in the US, including DHgate in second place and Alibaba’s Taobao at number seven.

Shein and Temu have also slashed their advertising spending in the US.

Temu has “turned off all their Google Shopping ads in the US” as of 9 April, Mike Ryan, head of e-commerce insights at online advertising agency Smarter Ecommerce, said on LinkedIn.

Temu’s average daily US advertising spend on social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram and YouTube fell by 31% in the two weeks leading to 13 April, compared with the past month.

Shein’s average daily US ad spend fell by 19% over the same period, according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

In their statements, Temu and Shein encouraged customers to shop before higher prices kick in.

“We stand ready to make sure your orders arrive smoothly during this time.

“We’re doing everything we can to keep prices low and minimize the impact on you. Our team is working hard to improve your shopping experience,” the statements said.

Temu and Shein did not immediately respond to requests from the BBC for further comment.

(BBC News)

The global price of gold has surged to an all-time high, with the price of an ounce reaching USD 3,345 as of today (17).

Indika Bandara, Assistant Director of the Precious Metals Analysis Bureau at the National Gem and Jewellery Authority, attributed the spike to several global economic factors, including a weakening US dollar, increased investor demand for safe-haven assets, and escalating trade tensions between the United States and China. He also noted that a recent tariff announcement by former US President Donald Trump further contributed to the price surge.

Reflecting the global trend, gold prices in Sri Lanka have also hit record highs. According to GOLD Ceylon Gold News Network, the Sea Street gold market recorded the following prices this morning:

• 22K gold: Rs. 242,000 per pound
• 24K gold: Rs. 262,000 per pound

This marks a notable increase from yesterday (16), when the prices stood at Rs. 238,300 for 22K and Rs. 259,000 for 24K gold.

The continued rise in gold prices highlights the growing global economic uncertainty and shifting investor behavior toward more stable assets.

(dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)