Google Wins Antitrust Case: US Judge Rejects Ad Business Breakup

US federal judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia rejected the Justice Department's request on September 2, 2026 to force Google to divest its advertising business. The judge justified her decision by stating that the remedies proposed by the Justice Department "far exceed the scope of the court's original findings."

Three key demands from the Justice Department rejected

The court dismissed three major sanctions that the Justice Department (DOJ) had requested:

• Divestiture of AdX, Google's ad exchange
• Open-source release of the final auction logic of DFP (DoubleClick for Publishers)
• Conditional divestiture of DFP Remainder

AdX is Google's central ad exchange that brings advertisers and publishers together. DFP refers to the ad server that helps publishers manage their ad inventory and conduct auctions. The rejection of these demands means that Google can retain its integrated infrastructure in the advertising business.

Antitrust violations remain

The decision on September 2, 2026 does not change the final antitrust violations that Judge Brinkema had already established in 2025. At that time, the court found that Google had unlawfully monopolized two markets in the field of open-web display ad technology and improperly bundled its publisher ad server with its ad exchange AdX. Specifically, the court found that Google violated antitrust law by tying AdX to its server business.

The case itself has already lasted more than three years – it began around 2023 or earlier and represents one of the most important antitrust lawsuits against big tech companies in the United States.

Operational changes ordered – details still pending

Although Judge Brinkema rejected the breakup, she nevertheless ordered changes to Google's business practices in the advertising business. The exact design of these measures was not made public in the decision from September 2, 2026 – according to sources, the ruling contains redacted passages.

The judge ordered that both the Justice Department and Google must jointly propose final judgment within 30 days of September 2, 2026. This unusual step means that both parties should agree on concrete changes that address the established antitrust violations without breaking up the business.

Industry association welcomes decision

The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), a trade association of the tech industry, welcomed the court's decision. CCIA President Matt Schruers stated: "The court rightly rejected the proposed breakup of Google's ad-tech business, which would have gone far beyond the original findings in the case. Digital advertising is extremely competitive, and this decision confirms that antitrust remedies should be narrowly tailored to address specific identified harms."

The CCIA pointed out that in the past it had sided with the Justice Department in antitrust cases against IBM, AT&T and Microsoft, but in this case supports the rejection of the breakup.

Significance for Google's ad business

The decision secures Google's control over its integrated advertising platform, which consists of publisher tools, ad exchange and mediation technology. The advertising business is a central revenue pillar of the Alphabet conglomerate, to which Google belongs. The exact financial impact of the operational changes still to be negotiated remains to be seen.

The ruling is a partial victory for Google in an environment of increasing regulatory scrutiny of tech companies. At the same time, the order for business changes shows that the court considers the antitrust violations established in 2025 to be serious and requires corrections.