Judge Orders Google to Change Ad-Tech Practices but Spares Breakup
A federal judge ruled that Google will not face a breakup of its advertising business despite finding the company guilty of maintaining an illegal monopoly in ad technology. The decision, issued by Judge Leonie M. Brinkema on Wednesday, follows years of antitrust litigation from the Justice Department (DOJ). While courts have consistently found against Google's monopolistic practices—both in search and ad-tech—the remedy this time focuses on changing business operations rather than divesting assets. The ruling requires Google to adjust its advertising practices to favor competitors but does not specify how these changes should be implemented. The full written decision will remain sealed for 14 days, pending redactions. This outcome aligns with a previous September 2025 ruling in which another judge rejected the DOJ's proposal to break up parts of Google’s search business. Google has welcomed the decision as a win and emphasized that it allows small businesses to continue using its tools for growth.
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Topics: advertising antitrust google justice_department