Google avoids forced sale of AdX advertising platform after U.S. judge’s ruling

Google has avoided the forced sale of AdX, a key part of its digital advertising business, after a federal judge in Virginia rejected the U.S. government’s request to break off the platform.

Judge Leonie M. Brinkema ruled that Google may keep AdX but must change some of its advertising practices. The full details of those measures have not yet been made public. Google and the government have 30 days to submit a joint proposal reflecting the court’s decisions.

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complicated

The case concerns Google’s role across the advertising technology market. The company operates Google Ads and DV360 for advertisers, DoubleClick for Publishers for website operators, and AdX, which connects advertisers with publishers.

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harmful

Brinkema had ruled in April 2025 that Google illegally used its dominant position to control two parts of the market: systems used by websites to manage advertising and platforms connecting advertisers and publishers. The Justice Department and several states filed the case in 2023, accusing Google of using its dominance to eliminate or weaken competitors.

The decision gives Google a victory on the requested remedy, but it does not overturn the earlier antitrust finding. Google had argued that selling AdX would be “complicated” and “harmful” to customers. The ruling comes amid other U.S. antitrust cases involving large technology companies, including efforts by regulators to make companies such as Google and Meta sell assets.

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use its dominant position to eliminate or weaken its competitors in the digital advertising market