Inside Google’s Final Attempt to Avoid AdX Divestiture in Antitrust Ad Tech Trial
In Focus
- Google will attempt to avoid ad tech business divestiture by a U.S. court
- Ad publishers pay the search giant a 20% fee to sell ads on this platform
- Tech giant plans to appeal monopoly ruling
Google will make a final attempt to convince a U.S. court not to break up its advertising technology business on November 21, 2025, as the antitrust trial wraps up. According to Reuters, the tech giant has so far avoided major consequences from the Justice Department’s push to rein in on its dominance. However, this could change depending on the way U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema rules in the Google antitrust ad tech trial.
Google’s Illegal Monopoly Ruling
On April 17, 2025, a Judge Brinkema ruled that Google held two illegal advertising technology monopolies. Under the Google ad-tech monopoly case, the judge will be considering the measures that tech giant must take to restore competition.
At the beginning of the 11-day ad tech trial, the DOJ demanded that Google sells its AdX platform. Ad publishers pay the search giant a 20% fee to sell ads on this platform in instant auctions.
Attorneys from the Department of Justice attempted to convince the judge no other remedy would stop Google from hampering competition.
In its defense, Google attempted to demonstrate that a breakup would not only be difficult, but would also expose customers to a long, painful transition process.
On November 21, 2025, Google’s closing arguments will bring to an end its year-long fight with regulators over its dominance in online search and advertising.
Google Commits to Appeal Monopoly Ruling
Depending on the ruling, Google’s fight to avoid an AdX breakup will shift to the appeals courts. The tech giant has already said that it will appeal the monopoly ruling, a process that could take several years to complete.
Google also plans to appeal another decision issued by a Washington court where the judge ruled that it monopolizes online search and advertising. In the case, the court favored Google in the Chrome-Android antitrust case ruling after U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected calls for a forced divestiture.
However, the antitrust ruling insisted that Google must share data with competitors to eliminate an online search monopoly. The Justice Department had pushed for a Google Chrome sell-off to remedy its dominance in online search.
Search Giant Faces Antitrust Probes in the EU
Last week, regulators in the EU started probing Google over allegations that it deprioritizes news publishers in its search results due to its spam policy.
The probe is guided by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the law that was designed to curb market dominance by major tech companies. The tech giant also avoided divestment of its ad tech business after it proposed changes to its ad tech policy to the European Commission as a remedy to the alleged conflict of interest.
According to the tech giant, the changes would make its online advertising technology more accessible to publishers and advertisers.
