Google has avoided a forced breakup of its advertising technology business after a US judge rejected the government’s request to make the company sell its AdX advertising exchange.
US District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, ruled on Wednesday that Google would not be required to sell AdX, despite previously finding that the company had illegally restricted competition in parts of the online advertising market.
The judge instead approved other measures aimed at changing Google’s business practices, as she is expected to release the full details of her ruling within 14 days after confidential information is removed.
The US Department of Justice had argued that Google could not be trusted to continue operating AdX because of its past conduct, so the government had sought the sale of the advertising exchange as part of its efforts to restore competition in the digital advertising market.
AdX is the platform where publishers sell digital advertising space through auctions that take place almost instantly when users visit websites. Publishers pay Google a fee for using the exchange.
Google had argued that forcing it to sell AdX would be technically difficult and could disrupt customers instead it proposed measures including giving competitors real-time access to advertising bids.
Google welcomed the ruling, saying the court had rejected the government’s proposal to break apart tools that help businesses reach customers.
“We’re very pleased the Court rejected the DOJ’s proposal to break apart tools that help small businesses reach new customers and grow,” Google executive Lee-Anne Mulholland said.
See also: 20m Children Suffered Online Sexual Abuse in One Year -UNICEF
The Justice Department said it was pleased that the court had ordered what it described as substantial relief and was reviewing its next steps.
The case is part of a wider US crackdown on the market power of major technology companies.
The Justice Department and a group of states sued Google in 2023, accusing it of using its dominance in digital advertising technology to weaken competition.
In April 2025, Judge Brinkema ruled that Google held illegal monopolies in parts of the online advertising technology market and had unlawfully restricted publishers’ ability to use competing services.
Wednesday’s ruling marks the third recent case in which US antitrust authorities have sought to force a major technology company to sell important assets but failed to secure such a breakup.
A federal judge previously rejected the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to force Meta to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, although the agency has appealed the decision.
Another judge rejected the Justice Department’s request for Google to sell its Chrome browser after finding that Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search.
The latest ruling raises fresh questions about how far US courts are willing to go in breaking up the country’s largest technology companies, even when judges find that some of their business practices violate antitrust laws.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
