The investigation into Google's control of the digital ad market signals a welcome shift toward tackling bigger monopolies more frequently

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The Competition Bureau’s recently expanded investigation into search and advertising giant Google is a sign that Canada’s competition cop is taking its new powers seriously.

Beginning in 2020, the bureau’s original investigation focused on Google’s exclusion of rival ad buyers from YouTube, by far the most popular streaming site in Canada. While a worthy effort, it was a narrow one. Rather than breaking open the drivers of Google’s dominance, the investigation appeared to be tailored towards what the bureau considered to be the surest win in court.

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In contrast, the expanded investigation announced earlier this year takes a much broader view of Google’s sprawling control of the digital advertising market, seeking to understand how Google might have abused its dominance and misled publishers and advertisers.

Think of the digital advertising market as a crowded stock exchange where ad space is auctioned in real time. On the........

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