US District Judge Leonie Brinkema ordered Google to make structural changes to its digital advertising technology business. However, the judge declined the Justice Department’s request to force a breakup of the unit. The case stems from a 2023 lawsuit accusing Google of illegally monopolizing the technology that matches online advertisers with publishers.
Government lawyers had pushed for Google to divest parts of the ad-exchange technology, warning that leaving the system intact would allow continued algorithmic manipulation. Google countered that breaking up the network would be unduly disruptive to publishers. A Google spokesperson welcomed the decision, while critics argued that imposing only modest remedies sends the wrong signal to other dominant technology firms.
Brinkema’s initial two-page order did not detail the specific remedies. They will remain under seal for 14 days while the parties review the fuller opinion and propose redactions. Investors are widely expected to treat the ad-tech remedies as a manageable cost of doing business rather than a serious threat to Google’s revenue.