Judge rejects Google antitrust bid to force sale of ad exchange AdX
US Judge Leonie Brinkema denied the Department of Justice request to break up Alphabet's advertising business, accepting behavioral remedies instead.
A judge in Alexandria, Virginia, rejected the United States Department of Justice bid to order a breakup of Google's online advertising technology division. On Wednesday, US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema declined to force the sale of AdX, an auction platform where publishers pay Google 20% to sell ads instantly when users visit websites. While this ruling ended a specific attempt to divest the unit, it followed a prior April 2025 decision by Judge Brinkema finding illegal monopolies in ad hosting and exchange markets. The Department of Justice argued last year that Google could not reliably manage AdX due to past conduct. In response, a broad coalition of states and the federal government originally sued in 2023 over market dominance. The trial focused on remedies rather than asset sales. Judge Brinkema accepted most proposed behavioral changes but refused the order for a forced sale.
