Google avoids ad-tech breakup, but court orders operational changes
Original: Google spared from ad-business breakup, but judge orders changes to how it operates
Why This Matters
The ruling sets a key precedent for how courts apply antitrust remedies to major digital advertising platforms.
Federal judge Leonie M. Brinkema ruled Wednesday that Google may keep its advertising business intact, rejecting DOJ divestiture demands. Instead, Google must adjust business practices to benefit competitors. The ruling follows a 2023 antitrust suit targeting Google's ad-technology operations.
Federal judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia ruled Wednesday that Google will not be required to divest its advertising business, despite a prior April 2025 finding that the company had illegally maintained its ad-tech monopoly. The Wednesday ruling addressed only the remedy phase of that case. Rather than ordering a breakup, Brinkema instructed Google to alter its business practices to favor competitors, though The New York Times reported the ruling "did not provide specifics" on implementation. The full written ruling remains under seal for 14 days to allow redactions.
The decision mirrors the outcome of a separate antitrust case focused on Google's search business. In that case, Judge Amit Mehta ruled in September 2025 that Google could retain Chrome and Android, while ordering it to end exclusive default-placement deals and share search data with rivals — remedies Google is currently appealing.
The DOJ has pursued two major antitrust actions against Google: a 2020 lawsuit targeting its search dominance and a 2023 suit targeting ad-tech. Courts ruled against Google in both cases. Google VP for regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland stated: "We're very pleased the Court rejected the DOJ's proposal to break apart tools that help small businesses reach new customers and grow."