Judge Brinkema Rejects DOJ Bid to Force Google AdX Divestiture
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema has rejected the Justice Department’s request to force Google to divest its AdX online advertising exchange, marking the second major antitrust defeat for the Trump administration against the tech giant. While Brinkema previously ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by tying AdX to its server business to maintain publisher dependency, she opted for behavioral remedies rather than a structural breakup. The decision allows Google to retain a significant profit center within its $95 billion ad exchange unit, which is part of a broader ad business projected to generate $239 billion in revenue this year. Google praised the ruling, arguing that a forced sale would complicate operations and harm small businesses relying on its tools to reach customers. The outcome follows a two-week remedy trial where the DOJ argued that only a divestiture could ensure meaningful market change, while Google contended that a breakup would raise costs for its clients.
