Google divestiture is dead — and publishers are fine with that
Publishers didn’t get a Google AdX breakup; they got behavioral remedies, promised transparency and a new reminder that Google’s real power lies in controlling demand, not pipes.
The court's decision not to force a Google AdX breakup has not come as a surprise or a major setback for many large publishers. While some senior commercial executives expressed relief that the most disruptive scenario was avoided, others felt a sense of resignation that no truly structural changes will occur. Opinions range from those who actively campaigned for Google's ad stack separation, to pragmatists who worried about years of disruption, to a sizable group who never believed divestiture was even possible.
Scott Messer, an independent ad-tech consultant and former publisher revenue executive, noted that while there is disappointment, there is also a "well, I guess it pays to be a monopolist" sentiment among some.
Written by urgent.news from Digiday's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
