Google Ad Tech Business Spared Breakup, Ordered to Reform Practices
A federal judge in Virginia has ruled against breaking up Google's ad tech business after it was found to have illegally maintained a monopoly over its ad technology platforms. US District Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected the Justice Department's request to dismantle Google's online advertising business, following her ruling last year that Google had illegally monopolized the sophisticated online-auction technology that decides which ads appear on websites.
The judge ordered Google to end its practices that depress ad rates for web publishers but declined to order divestiture of Google’s ad exchange and other technology. This is the second time Google has fended off the threat of divestiture after being found to have illegally maintained a monopoly. The company was required to make changes to its business practices, including sharing more information with publishers.
Google's Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, released a statement saying 'We’re very pleased the Court rejected the DOJ's proposal to break apart tools that help small businesses reach new customers and grow.'