DOJ Seeks Google Ad Platform Divestiture in 2025

The U.S. Department of Justice has asked a court to require Google to divest its AdX ad exchange and DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) platform after a federal judge found Google illegally maintained monopolies in online advertising, harming various stakeholders. The DOJ's proposal includes a court-supervised divestiture process, a decade-long ban on Google running a digital ad exchange, and mandates for Google to grant fair access to third-party ad tech tools. Google opposes the breakup, warning of economic disruption, and has suggested alternative transparency and competitiveness measures. The trial to determine remedies is set for September 2025, and any ordered breakup could take years, as Google is expected to appeal. The case is part of wider antitrust scrutiny of Google, including its dominance in search and browsers. European regulators are monitoring the case but emphasize that U.S. decisions do not set legal precedents in the EU.