Antitrust

Judge Rejects Trump Administration's Plan To Break Up Google's Ad Business

Punishing a company for building the best product doesn't serve the businesses or users antitrust enforcers claim to protect.

Tosin Akintola | 9.3.2026 10:00 AM

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After ruling in 2025 that Google was guilty of "willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power" in the digital ad market, Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia on Wednesday rejected a Justice Department proposal that would have forced Google to sell off parts of its advertising business as punishment.

Brinkema's opinion is sealed for 14 days, so it's unclear why she chose to reject the Justice Department's proposal. However, The Wall Street Journal reports that Brinkema had previously........

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