Google has avoided being forced to break up its advertising business following a federal court ruling, but the search giant will face court-ordered changes to how it operates. The Google ad business ruling, handed down this week by federal judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia, determined that Google acted illegally in maintaining its ad-tech dominance—but stopped short of requiring the company to divest its advertising operations.
The Google ad business ruling: what the judge decided
Judge Brinkema’s decision follows years of antitrust litigation. The Justice Department filed two separate cases against Google: one in 2020 targeting its search dominance, and another in 2023 specifically focused on its ad-technology business. Both argued that Google‘s grip on the digital ad economy represented an illegal monopoly. Courts sided with the government in both cases. In 2024, a court ruled that Google‘s search business, including its lucrative search-ad operation, was an illegal monopoly. Last April, a second court reached the same conclusion about Google‘s ad-tech business.
Rather than ordering Google to sell off its advertising division, Judge Brinkema ruled that the company must adjust its business practices to favor competitors. The New York Times notes that the judge’s ruling “did not provide specifics” as to how Google should implement these changes. Brinkema’s full written ruling will remain under seal for 14 days to allow those involved to issue necessary redactions.
How Google built its ad-tech dominance
Much of the government’s case centered on how Google ensured its search engine became the default across devices worldwide. The company used exclusive agreements with device manufacturers to make itself the default search engine across huge portions of the mobile phone market. Google also entered into revenue-sharing agreements with mobile carriers—deals where carriers earned a cut of ad revenue in exchange for keeping Google as the default—further cementing its position in phone markets.
Google‘s regulatory affairs vice president Lee-Anne Mulholland told TechCrunch: “We’re very pleased the Court rejected the DOJ’s proposal to break apart tools that help small businesses reach new customers and grow.” This outcome mirrors an earlier decision: in September 2025, Judge Amit Mehta rejected proposals to divest Google‘s Chrome browser and Android operating system, though he did order the company to end exclusive default-placement deals and share certain search data with competitors—remedies that Google is currently appealing. In a related development, YouTube Shopping adds Amazon to its affiliate program highlighted how platforms continue expanding their advertising ecosystems. Meanwhile, Meta to Pay $18 Billion to Settle Lawsuit Over Teen Safety Concerns showed how tech companies face mounting pressure over their business practices and their impact on users.
المصدر: TechCrunch
