US court rejects forced sale of Google's ad business

A US federal court in Virginia rejected the Justice Department's demand to force Google to divest its advertising business, citing the measure as too radical. The decision closes nearly two decades of antitrust risk for the company. The government argued Google's control over ad tools for both advertisers and publishers allowed it to charge excessive fees of about 20% and reduce publisher revenue. The court instead ordered Google to adjust its business practices, while previously allowing it to keep Chrome and Android. Google's vice president of regulatory policy welcomed the ruling, saying it protects tools that help small businesses grow. The 2020 lawsuit had been compared to historic cases that broke up Standard Oil and AT&T.