A US federal judge has ruled that Google will not be forced to break up its advertising technology business, though the company will have to change some of its business practices. Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia issued the decision, which remains under seal, after previously finding that Google had "willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts" to build and protect its monopoly in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets for open-web display advertising. The ruling is significant as it spares Google the more drastic remedy sought by the US Department of Justice, following a broader pattern of major tech firms fending off break-up attempts.

The case, filed under the Biden administration and pursued by Trump's DOJ, centred on claims Google preserved its dominance by imposing anticompetitive policies and removing useful product features. Brinkema declined to order a sale of Google's ad exchange, expressing doubt over who could realistically buy and run such assets, while Google had argued a break-up would harm consumers. Online advertising is central to Google's business, accounting for roughly 70% of its $403 billion in total 2025 revenue. The decision follows similar outcomes for Meta and Amazon, which also avoided break-ups in their respective antitrust cases.