Google Keeps AdX After Judge Orders Behavioral Remedies

A federal judge has rejected the Department of Justice's request to force Google to sell its AdX advertising exchange, instead ordering behavioral remedies aimed at opening parts of Google's ad-tech business to greater competition.

The September 2 remedies opinion in United States, et al. v. Google LLC, No. 1:23-cv-00108 (E.D. Va.), declined to require Google to divest AdX or to open-source Google Ad Manager's final auction logic, which governs how the publisher ad server selects the winning bid.

Judge Leonie Brinkema concluded that modified behavioral remedies would be sufficient to address the anticompetitive conduct found in Google's advertising technology business.