Google Escapes Ad Tech Breakup but Faces Behavioral Remedies in Antitrust Ruling
In a significant ruling on Google's antitrust case, US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema has rejected the government's push to force the company to divest parts of its digital advertising business. Instead, the judge indicated she will implement behavioral changes aimed at opening up competition.
The Justice Department had sought a more aggressive remedy, pushing for Google to sell off key portions of its ad tech stack following a finding that the company had illegally monopolized the online advertising market. However, Judge Brinkema signaled she would adopt most of the behavioral modifications proposed by the parties, though with some alterations.
Details of the specific remedies remain under seal pending review. The parties must still meet to finalize proposed revisions and to ensure confidential information is redacted before the full opinion is made public. Based on earlier proposals in the case, the remedies could include restrictions on Google's use of self-preferencing tactics in ad auctions and measures allowing third parties greater access to data.
The decision marks the second major antitrust setback for the government in its efforts to rein in Google's market power, following a separate case where a different judge declined to force a breakup of Google's search business.