Google Keeps AdX Amid Antitrust Ruling, Must Implement Behavioral Remedies
A federal judge has rejected the Department of Justice's request to force Google to sell its AdX ad exchange. Judge Leonie Brinkema previously determined that Google illegally monopolized two ad tech markets, but she declined to order the sale of AdX after accepting undisclosed 'behavioral remedies' proposed by the parties.
According to a statement from Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's vice president of regulatory affairs, the company is pleased with the court's decision. The judge's ruling allows Google to maintain control over its ad exchange while implementing changes that will give rivals access to its ad tech tools.
The Department of Justice and eight states sued Google in 2023 over allegations that it used its monopoly position to charge higher fees and facilitate a higher proportion of ad sales. Brinkema ruled last year that Google had indeed violated antitrust law by forcing publishers that host ads on the company's servers to use AdX.
The European Union's executive arm fined Google $3.5 billion in September for giving its ad tech products preferential treatment, and a separate ruling found that Google would not have to sell Chrome despite holding a monopoly in online search.