A federal judge has rejected a push by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to force Alphabet Inc.’s Google to sell off key parts of its digital advertising business, handing the tech giant a major victory in a landmark antitrust suit.
In an order issued on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema denied the government’s demand that Google divest its central ad exchange, known as AdX.
Instead, Brinkema accepted behavioral remedies that compel Google to modify how its ad tech software interacts with competing platforms.
The full judicial opinion remains under seal for 14 days to allow both parties to request redactions for confidential trade secrets.
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The decision resolves around the penalty phase of a federal lawsuit originally filed back in 2023.
In April 2025, Brinkema ruled that Google had maintained illegal monopolies of sorts in publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, holding that the company unlawfully tied its publisher tools to AdX to exclude rivals.
During the remedies trial, Justice Department attorneys argued that structural separation was the only effective way to eliminate inherent conflicts of interest across Google’s ad tech pipeline.
Google countered that forcing a sale of AdX would prove technically disruptive, harm web publishers, and destabilize tools relied upon by small businesses.
Rather than ordering a corporate breakup, Brinkema opted for conduct restrictions. While exact terms are pending the unsealing of the full opinion, the court accepted proposed measures aimed at increasing system interoperability, including opening real-time bidding access on AdX to rival ad servers and platforms.
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The outcome marks another setback for federal regulators seeking structural breakups against major technology companies.
Last year, a federal judge in Washington found Google guilty of maintaining an illegal search monopoly but similarly declined to order the sale of its Chrome browser or Android system.
Google welcomed the decision, stating it was pleased the court rejected proposals to dismantle tools that assist small businesses.
DOJ officials noted they were pleased the court mandated operational changes and indicated they will evaluate their legal options once the full opinion is published.