A federal judge ruled Thursday that Google's digital ad network is an illegal monopoly, the second such ruling in less than a year. 

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema from Virginia said in his ruling that Google illegally exploited some of its marketing technology to increase profits, according to The Associated Press.

The ruling follows the one in August 2024  in which a judge said Google had been taking illegal action to stifle competition. 

“For over a decade, Google has tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange together through contractual policies and technological integration, which enabled the company to establish and protect its monopoly power in these two markets," Brinkema wrote in her ruling. 

“Google further entrenched its monopoly power by imposing anticompetitive policies on its customers and eliminating desirable product features," her statement continued. 

Google said it would appeal the ruling.

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