Law & Justice
Google ad business breakup rejected by US judge
A US federal judge refused on Wednesday to force Google to sell part of its digital advertising business, rejecting the government's bid to break up part of the company's ad operation.
Judge Leonie Brinkema of the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, instead chose rules governing how Google must operate in the digital advertising market. Her reasoning is not yet public because the opinion was filed under seal for 14 days.
Brinkema gave the two sides 30 days to submit a joint proposed final judgment. The details of the required changes to Google's ad business remain unknown for now.
Google regulatory affairs vice president Lee-Anne Mulholland said the company was pleased the court rejected the Department of Justice proposal to break apart tools that, in Google's view, help small businesses reach customers and grow.
The case focused on Google's ad tech “stack”, a set of tools used by website publishers to sell ads and by advertisers to buy them. Brinkema previously ruled that Google had willfully monopolized the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets and had unlawfully tied the two products together. Google has said it will appeal that liability ruling.
The Department of Justice portrayed Google as controlling multiple sides of the digital advertising marketplace, including the platform publishers use to sell ads and the exchange where transactions occur. Prosecutors sought the sale of Google's AdX ad auction site and the open-sourcing of critical auction technology.
Google called the proposed remedies extreme government overreach and argued that splitting up the service would be technically unfeasible. At closing arguments, Brinkema questioned how long a forced sale would take and noted that no buyer for AdX had been identified.
The decision is another recent antitrust ruling in which a federal judge declined to dismantle part of Google's business. In a separate online search monopoly case last year, a judge refused to force Google to sell its Chrome browser.
Update
Google regulatory affairs vice president Lee-Anne Mulholland said the company was pleased the court rejected the Justice Department's breakup proposal.
The Department of Justice had sought the sale of Google's AdX ad auction site and the open-sourcing of critical auction technology.
At closing arguments, Judge Leonie Brinkema questioned how long a forced sale would take and noted that no buyer for AdX had been identified.
The source adds broader context on the Justice Department's antitrust efforts involving other major technology companies.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 16:15:32 UTC.
Update
Judge Leonie Brinkema filed the reasoning for the decision under seal for 14 days.
The details of how Google must change its ad business are not yet public.
The two sides have 30 days to submit a joint proposed final judgment.
Brinkema previously ruled that Google willfully monopolized the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets and unlawfully tied the two products together.
Google has said it will appeal the underlying liability ruling.
Prosecutors sought the sale of Google's AdX ad auction site and the open-sourcing of critical auction technology.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 15:26:22 UTC.
Update
Judge Leonie Brinkema refused to force Google to sell a division of its digital advertising business.
The judge opted for rules governing how Google must operate in the digital advertising market.
The decision follows a separate case in which a federal judge declined to force the sale of Google's Chrome browser.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 14:49:49 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The reasoning for Brinkema's remedy decision is not yet public because the opinion remains sealed.
The exact operating rules Google will face in the ad market are not yet known.
The outcome of Google's planned appeal of the liability ruling is unresolved.
Source
AFP news report published on .