Google Spares AdX Breakup as US Court Imposes Behavioral Remedies

A US federal court has rejected the Department of Justice's demand that Google divest its AdX advertising exchange. Instead, the court opted for behavioural remedies intended to address competition concerns in the digital advertising technology ecosystem.

US District Judge Leonie Brinkema found in April 2025 that Google had unlawfully maintained monopolies in key parts of the adtech market, including publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. The decision follows a detailed ruling expected after confidential information is removed.

The Justice Department argued that simply imposing behavioural restrictions would not address the problems identified by the court. However, Google opposed a forced divestiture, citing technical complexities and potential disruption to businesses reliant on its systems.