Judge rejects DOJ bid to break up Google’s AdX exchange, leaves future steps unclear

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in the Eastern District of Virginia rejected the Justice Department’s request to force a divestiture of Alphabet’s Google AdX advertising exchange. The court indicated that behavioral remedies may be required, but the specific measures were not disclosed and the written opinion will remain sealed for two weeks. Google’s regulatory affairs vice president Lee‑Anne Mulholland welcomed the decision, while the DOJ’s Antitrust Division called it a step toward restoring competition. After the ruling, Alphabet’s stock saw a modest gain and shares of competitors such as The Trade Desk, AppLovin, Magnite and Taboola moved higher.