Federal judge orders Google to restructure ad tech but blocks forced sale

A federal judge has directed Google to fundamentally change how it operates in digital advertising technology. The ruling requires the company to stop tying its publisher ad server to its AdX exchange, one of its most contested business practices. Rather than forcing a breakup as the Department of Justice demanded, the court has instead ordered Google to share bidding information from real-time auctions with rival publisher platforms, concluding this would be sufficient to restore competitive conditions. An internal monitor appointed by the court will ensure compliance over a six-year period, far shorter than the 15-year term the DOJ pursued. Google has already indicated it intends to challenge the judge's conclusions regarding its Ad Manager tool.

1. Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a 106-page decision on September 17, 2026.
2. Google must cease conditioning the use of its ad server on simultaneous use of AdX by websites.
3. An internal antitrust compliance monitor will oversee enforcement for six years.
4. The DOJ had sought a 15-year enforcement term and forced divestiture of AdX.
5. The DOJ first sued Google over ad tech in 2023.
6. Google's advertising business generated $81.6 billion in Q2 2026, roughly 68% of total revenue.
7. Alphabet's Class A stock closed at $342.87 on September 17, down 0.61%.
8. Google plans to appeal the Ad Manager publishing tool ruling.