Judge rules Google will not face jury trial in US digital ads case

People walk next to a Google logo during a trade fair in Hannover Messe, in Hanover, Germany, April 22, 2024. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Alphabet's Google will not face a jury trial over its alleged digital advertising dominance after the company paid $2.3 million to cover the U.S. government's claim of monetary damages, a federal judge ruled on Friday.

Because non-monetary demands are heard by judges directly in antitrust cases, Google's payment means that it avoids a jury trial. The company had said it would have been the first-ever jury trial in a civil antitrust case lodged by the U.S. Justice Department.