A US federal judge has ruled that Google will not be broken up over its advertising technology business, but the company must change how it operates to help competitors.
Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia said on Wednesday that Google can keep its ad business, rejecting the Justice Department's push for a sale. Instead, the judge ordered adjustments to business practices, though The New York Times reports the ruling did not give specifics.
The decision follows an earlier finding in April last year that Google had acted illegally in maintaining its ad-tech dominance. The full written ruling will stay under seal for 14 days to allow for redactions.
Google welcomed the outcome. Lee-Anne Mulholland, vice president for regulatory affairs, said: "We're very pleased the Court rejected the DOJ's proposal to break apart tools that help small businesses reach new customers and grow."