Google Wins Again: No Breakup Required for Ad Monopoly

A US judge ruled Wednesday that Google does not have to divest parts of its digital advertising business, despite holding an illegal monopoly, marking the second time the tech giant has avoided a forced breakup. The Department of Justice had sought the dismantling of Google's ad technology unit after last year's ruling, but the judge instead ordered unspecified measures to curb its market power, to be announced later this month. This follows a previous case where Google avoided breakup over its search monopoly, only required to share data with competitors. The Wall Street Journal calls the verdict the end of nearly two decades of antitrust risk for Google, which began under the Obama administration. Experts like Cristina Caffara call it a total victory, noting failed efforts in both the US and Europe to tame Big Tech, while the FTC also lost a similar case against Meta last year.