US: Google saw ad startup as a ‘threat’ — and bought it

In a trial, the Justice Department argued that Google’s 2011 acquisition of AdMeld was part of a strategy to eliminate competition in the online ad market. Google saw AdMeld as a threat and integrated its technology into its own platform, later shutting down the product to solidify its dominance. The Justice Department alleges that Google has monopolized the market for advertising technology tools used by websites.