US Judge Rules Google Must Relax Ad Tech Rules and Appoint Antitrust Monitor

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that Google must implement significant changes to its online advertising business practices and appoint an internal antitrust compliance monitor, though the company will not be required to break up its advertising technology division. The 106-page decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, follows a finding in April 2025 that Google maintained an illegal monopoly over certain segments of the online ad technology market.

The court’s order mandates that Google disconnect its publisher ad server from its ad exchange, AdX. Under these new requirements, websites that utilize Google’s publisher ad server will no longer be forced to use AdX to sell their advertising space. By mandating this separation, the court aims to foster greater interoperability and prevent the company from favoring its own internal tools over those of competitors, thereby opening the market to increased competition.

These operational restrictions and the oversight of an antitrust compliance monitor are set to remain in place for a duration of six years. While the Department of Justice had originally advocated for a 15-year period of oversight and a full divestiture of Google’s ad tech business, Judge Brinkema determined that the imposed changes would be sufficient to address the anticompetitive conduct identified in the case.

The Department of Justice characterized the ruling as a significant victory in its ongoing efforts to restore competition within the digital advertising sector. An official from the department stated that they are currently reviewing the opinion to determine the next steps.

Google has expressed disagreement with the court’s liability ruling regarding its Google Ad Manager tool and has confirmed its intent to appeal the decision. The company maintained that a forced divestiture of its business would have negatively impacted small businesses by making it more difficult for them to reach their customers.

Despite the rejection of the government's request to break up the company, the court emphasized that the remedies are designed to prevent Google from reverting to anticompetitive practices. The ruling concludes a high-profile legal battle over whether the tech giant’s dominance in placing ads across the internet unfairly stifled market competition.