Google avoids forced sale of ad tech business after US judge rejects bid
UKPulse Consumer Desk
A US judge in Virginia has rejected the Department of Justice's bid to force Google to sell its online advertising exchange, AdX.
- Judge Leonie Brinkema declined to make Google sell AdX.
- The ruling is a second symbolic victory for Google against the US Department of Justice's antitrust efforts.
- The justice department and states sued Google in 2023 over its dominance in advertising technology markets.
Alphabet's Google will not be forced to break up its advertising technology business after a judge in Virginia rejected a bid by US antitrust enforcers to compel a sale of its online advertising exchange, AdX.
Judge Leonie Brinkema accepted most of the proposed behavioral remedies from the parties involved. Publishers pay Google a 20% fee to sell ads in auctions on AdX.
This ruling marks the second symbolic victory for Google against the US Department of Justice's attempts to force asset sales to address alleged illegal monopolies. The justice department and a coalition of states sued Google in 2023 over its dominance in ad tech markets.
Why this matters: The ruling is the third time a judge has rejected a US antitrust enforcer's bid to break up a big tech company, potentially raising questions about the courts' ability to check the industry's power.