Google yet again avoided a breakup of its business — but it will have to play nicer
A judge ruled Google doesn't have to sell off parts of its adtech business, but it will face other remedies.
A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Google does not have to break up its adtech business, which was the extreme measure sought by the Justice Department after the tech giant was found to have operated an illegal monopoly in certain online advertising markets. This is the second time in recent history that Google has avoided a breakup attempt from the DOJ.
A judge found Google held an illegal adtech monopoly, but the online ad giant did not escape without consequences. Judge Leonie Brinkema accepted most of the proposed behavioral remedies from both the DOJ and Google, though the specific changes remain confidential. The remedies mainly involve Google playing nicer or more competitively with its adtech competitors and refraining from giving its own services preferential treatment.
Shares of adtech companies like The Trade Desk, AppLovin, Magnite, and Taboola rose in early trading after the judge's decision, while Google's parent company Alphabet's stock also saw a slight increase. The DOJ expressed satisfaction with the court's decision, stating that it brought relief to American people in online advertising markets.
The judge's ruling on April 2025 highlighted Google's willful engagement in anticompetitive acts to acquire and maintain monopoly power in publisher ad server and ad exchange markets for open-web display advertising. Google's dominance of the market could lead to changes in its auction practices and increased competition, but the long-term impact on the adtech industry remains uncertain.
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