In a significant ruling, a US judge has turned down the Department of Justice’s bid to compel Google to divest its advertising exchange platform, AdX. This decision permits Google to maintain a crucial segment of its advertising technology operations.
Judge Leonie Brinkema, overseeing the case, opted against mandating the sale of AdX but endorsed most of the proposed limitations on Google’s business practices. This judgment comes on the heels of a 2025 court finding that determined Google had unlawfully upheld monopolies in the domains of publisher ad servers and advertising exchanges.
The Justice Department, alongside multiple US states, contended that due to Google’s prior actions, the company should relinquish control over AdX. In contrast, Google resisted the notion of a forced sale, arguing that detaching the platform would be technically challenging and might cause disruptions for its customers.
This ruling signifies another hurdle for US antitrust officials striving to dismantle major tech conglomerates. Previous legal endeavors against other prominent tech companies have also not succeeded in achieving mandatory asset divestitures.
By allowing Google to retain its advertising exchange, the decision imposes behavioral regulations to address competition concerns and the company’s treatment of publishers, marking a partial victory for the tech giant amid ongoing antitrust scrutiny.