Google Escapes Ad Business Breakup but Faces Remedies
U.S. District Court Judge Leonie M. Brinkema has ruled that Google will not be required to break up its advertising business, despite being found guilty of an illegal monopoly in online advertising.
The ruling comes after a two-week remedy hearing last September and October, during which the judge recommended that Google and the Department of Justice pursue a settlement. However, since no agreement was reached, the judge has issued her own remedy ruling.
In April 2025, Google was found to have an illegal monopoly in online advertising, with Judge Brinkema stating that the company 'willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts to acquire and maintain monopoly power' in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets for open-web display advertising.
The judge's ruling is being appealed by the Department of Justice, which had sought to break up Google's advertising business. It remains unclear what remedies Judge Brinkema will impose on Google as a result of her ruling.