A US court says Google keeps its ad exchange. The Commission said only a sale would work
ThinkingNews Desk · how this was written
A U.S. federal judge rejected the Department of Justice’s request to force Google to divest its AdX advertising exchange, allowing the company to retain the platform. The ruling imposes only behavioral remedies, requiring Google to open its ad-tech tools to rivals and let publishers set separate minimum prices, while the exchange continues to generate a 20% fee from publishers in a market where Google holds an 87% share.
Written from all 3 reports below, not from any single one.
How it was reported
- Ars Technica·US court rules Google will not have to sell ad exchange after losing antitrust case
A federal judge ruled that Google will not be required to sell its AdX advertising exchange, despite the DOJ’s request in the 2025 antitrust case. The court found that Google illegally locked publishers into using its exchange but did not find wrongdoing in the tools used by advertisers. The decision limits the remedies imposed on Google, leaving the exchange—and its small share of revenue—intact.
- Engadget·Google won't be forced to sell its ad exchange following antitrust ruling
A federal judge rejected the DOJ’s request to force Google to sell its AdX ad exchange, allowing the company to keep the platform while agreeing to undisclosed behavioral remedies that open its ad-tech tools to rivals. Google earns a 20 percent fee from publishers who sell ad space through AdX, a market in which it holds an 87 percent share. The ruling follows last year’s antitrust decision that found Google illegally monopolized two ad-tech markets.
- The Next Web·A US court says Google keeps its ad exchange. The Commission said only a sale would work
A U.S. federal judge ruled that Google will not be forced to divest its advertising exchange, leaving the remedies in three antitrust cases primarily behavioral. The European Commission, which fined Google €2.95 billion for self-preferencing in adtech, maintains that only a divestiture would fully address the conduct. Google’s proposed measures—allowing publishers to set separate minimum prices and increasing tool interoperability—contain no sale and are still under EU review.
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