Judge orders Google to overhaul ad business, rejects breakup

A federal judge on Sept 2 ordered Google to retool its digital advertising business, rejecting the US government's push for a breakup while imposing unspecified changes to address its monopoly. Judge Leonie Brinkema's two-page decision in Virginia marks the second time in a year Google avoided a Justice Department dismantling proposal. The full opinion with specific remedies remains sealed for 14 days, and Google's regulatory affairs vice president welcomed the rejection of the breakup. The case stems from a 2023 antitrust lawsuit, with critics like The Tech Oversight Project condemning the ruling as insufficient. The ad technology handles 55 million requests per second, and Alphabet's stock has surged 45% since a separate 2024 search monopoly ruling.