Google dodges antitrust breakup of ad tech business

In a win for Google, the tech giant won't have to divest its ad tech arm, even despite a determination it violated antitrust laws.ALEXANDRIA, Va. (CN) — Despite previously ruling that Google had violated antitrust laws, a federal judge rejected calls to separate the tech giant from its lucrative ad tech division in a decision handed down Wednesday.U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected the Department of Justice’s proposals for structural remedies in the form of the divestiture of key programs — specifically AdX, Google’s ad exchange, along with a proposal to open source Double Click for Publishers final auction logic.Prosecutors had contended that those programs allowed Google to maintain an ad-tech monopoly.In a statement, Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president for regulatory affairs, said, “We’re very pleased the court rejected the DOJ’s proposal to break apart tools that help small businesses reach new customers and grow.”Brinkema confined her reasoning to a sealed memorandum, but in a brief order made public, the Bill Clinton appointee accepted proposals for most of the behavior remedies “as modified by this court.”The memorandum will remain sealed for 14 days. And within 30 days, attorneys for the DOJ and Google are to confer and then file “one jointly proposed final judgment, reflecting the decisions and modifications imposed in the accompanying memorandum opinion and resolving any still-disputed issues.”Brinkema’s order also foresees the possibility that more briefings or oral arguments could be necessary if attorneys can’t resolve their differences.The judge has presided over two trials in the government’s monopoly case against Google. The first, held in September 2024, led to an April 2025 order finding that Google’s conduct “substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web.”Google’s grasp of tech tools allowed it to wield monopolistic power in the advertising industry, violating the country’s antitrust laws, Brinkema ruled.The second trial — the remedies phase — took place in September 2025, with the DOJ and Google submitting competing proposals.During final arguments late in the year, Brinkema noted that Google would likely appeal. This could push back implementation of any order calling for the sale of the business.In the meantime, the ad tech landscape is shifting. Artificial intelligence is gaining prominence and rival companies are seeking damages based on the court’s ruling. Ad tech firm PubMatic sued Google in 2025, demanding over $1 billion in damages and contending the tech giant thwarted its success.And in Europe, regulators hit Google with a$3.2 billion fine over accusations the company abused its dominance in digital advertising technology.Google was also convicted of antitrust violations in a case involving its search engine. In that case, a federal judge also rejected the DOJ’s request to order the divestment of Google.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads