Google fights Justice Department witness list ahead of high-stakes antitrust case

As Google prepares for its trial before the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) scheduled for September 9, the tech giant has raised significant objections to the witness list proposed by prosecutors. At the heart of the trial are allegations that Google has monopolized the digital advertising market by controlling both the buy and sell sides of online advertising.

In a recent In a court filing, Google disputed several names on the Justice Department's witness list, arguing that many of the individuals did not have sufficient direct knowledge of the case. Among the names disputed by Google is Brian O'Kelley, co-founder and CEO of Scope3, a company specializing in advertising technology, and former CEO of AppNexus, a major player in the industry. Google claims that O'Kelley and others on the list do not have the personal knowledge necessary to give relevant testimony.

Google's objections also apply to several other industry leaders, including Jed Dederick, chief revenue officer of The Trade Desk, one of the most important companies in the adtech space. The tech company claims that these individuals could potentially offer biased or irrelevant perspectives due to their deep roots in the industry.

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Alan Chapell, president of Chapell & Associates, a law firm specializing in privacy and data issues, suggests that by rejecting these witnesses, Google is trying to minimize the presence of people who could provide potentially damaging insights into the company's business practices. According to Chapell, Google appears intent on preventing testimony from people with extensive knowledge of the adtech industry, especially those who might criticize the company's methods.

The final decision on which witnesses are allowed to testify rests with Judge Leonie Brinkema, who will ultimately rule on the relevance and admissibility of the disputed witnesses. The outcome of this decision could significantly influence the course of the trial, which is expected to have far-reaching consequences for Google and the entire digital advertising industry.

Source: ExchangeWire