Google Faces Antitrust Restrictions in Advertising and Search Cases

A U.S. federal court in Virginia has ordered Google to open parts of its digital advertising system to competitors, a ruling that stops short of the Justice Department's request to break up the tech giant's advertising empire. Judge Leonie Brinkema mandated that Google implement behavioral restrictions for six years, including sharing information and allowing monitors into its systems, to foster competition in markets allegedly harmed by the company's practices.

Google's advertising system, which manages the "computerized auction" for online ads, was found by the court in April 2025 to have illegally maintained monopolies in the markets for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. The court determined that Google's integration of its AdX exchange and DFP ad server blocked competition, negatively impacting publishers and information consumers like news websites that rely on ad revenue.

As a result of the ruling, Google must connect its AdX and DFP systems to the open-source Prebid system, allowing websites to receive bids from multiple ad exchanges. AdX will be required to share real-time bids with competing ad servers, and publishers will be able to export their historical data, removing a barrier to switching providers. Google's advertising acquisition tool, Google Ads, will also be restricted from prioritizing Google's own systems and will be prohibited from making direct bids to DFP.

While the Justice Department sought a 15-year oversight period, Judge Brinkema opted for six years, with a possibility of extension. The restrictions will apply globally, potentially affecting publishers in Israel. Google's significant concession was avoiding the forced sale of its AdX exchange, with the judge deeming structural separation unnecessary and believing that opening AdX bids to competing servers could restore market competition.

This advertising case is one of several legal battles Google faces. In a separate case concerning its search engine, a federal court ruled in August 2024 that Google illegally maintained its monopoly, partly through agreements to make its search engine the default on devices and browsers. Although the court rejected the demand to sell its Chrome browser, it imposed restrictions on exclusivity agreements and mandated data sharing with competitors. Google and the government have appealed aspects of this ruling.

Furthermore, Google's app store, Google Play, is under legal pressure. Following a lawsuit by Epic Games, the developer of "Fortnite," a court found that Google's practices in the Android app store market harmed competition, leading to requirements for Google to open up options for developers and rival stores. Separately, Google faces a class-action lawsuit in the UK, initiated in October 2026, seeking approximately £1 billion over allegedly excessive fees charged on app store purchases.

These legal challenges raise the question of whether Google can be limited without being broken up. To date, U.S. courts have favored imposing behavioral changes rather than forcing the divestiture of key assets, aiming to open markets to competition without disrupting essential systems. The effectiveness of these restrictions remains to be seen, especially as Google transitions into the era of AI-powered search and services, where its existing advantages could still play a significant role.