U.S. Judge Weighs Potential Google Ad Tech Breakup as DOJ Pushes for Swift Action

A U.S. judge overseeing the landmark antitrust case against Google’s advertising technology business is pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) on how quickly a potential breakup could be implemented, emphasizing that “time is of the essence.” The case marks one of the most significant challenges yet to Google’s dominance in digital advertising, following years of bipartisan scrutiny of Big Tech that began during the Trump administration.

U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema, who previously ruled in April that Google held two illegal monopolies in the ad tech market, is now evaluating what remedies would effectively restore competition. During closing arguments, she acknowledged that Google is “very likely to appeal,” a move that could delay any breakup for years and impact multiple related lawsuits from publishers and rival ad tech firms seeking damages based on her ruling.

The DOJ, along with several states, is urging the court to force Google to sell AdX, its powerful ad exchange where publishers pay a 20% fee to auction advertising space in real time. DOJ attorney Matthew Huppert argued that only a divestiture can meaningfully address Google’s entrenched market power and offer a “more competitive future for the open web.”

Google firmly opposes the proposal. Company attorney Karen Dunn argued that a forced sale would be unnecessarily extreme, technically challenging, and potentially harmful to customers and publishers who rely on its tools. She emphasized that “lawfully acquired monopoly power” has long been recognized by U.S. courts as acceptable, referencing a 2004 Supreme Court ruling.

The conclusion of these hearings brings Google’s years-long legal fight with the DOJ closer to a pivotal decision, though appeals are expected to follow. The U.S. continues to pursue separate antitrust cases involving Amazon and Apple, while a recent FTC effort to force Meta to divest Instagram and WhatsApp was rejected by a judge.