Google defeats US justice department bid to force ad tech sale

Google has successfully resisted a U.S. government attempt to force the sale of its advertising technology business, with a Virginia judge rejecting the Department of Justice's bid in a ruling on Wednesday. While the ad exchange is a minor portion of Google's overall business, the decision marks a significant symbolic win in the ongoing fight against alleged monopolistic practices.

U.S. Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, opted to uphold most of the proposed behavioral remedies, rather than compel Google to sell AdX, the platform where publishers pay a 20% fee to sell ads through instantaneous auctions when users access websites. The Department of Justice and a coalition of states had filed a lawsuit against Google in 2023, alleging its dominance in the advertising technology markets used by online publishers and websites.

In April 2025, Brinkema determined that Google had unlawfully restrained publishers by forcing them into using its AdX, effectively monopolizing the ad server market. Google's own antitrust defense argued that a forced sale would be technically challenging and disruptive, potentially causing harm to its publisher customers and the overall internet ecosystem.

This latest setback follows two previous instances where judges overturned the Department of Justice's attempts to break up Big Tech giants. The ruling underscores the ongoing debate about whether courts can effectively curb the overwhelming influence of major tech companies in the U.S. economy.