In a landmark decision, U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema ruled Thursday that Alphabet Inc.’s Google violated federal antitrust laws by “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in the advertising technology (adtech) market, marking the company’s second major antitrust defeat in less than a year.

The ruling, handed down in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, brings Google closer to a potential breakup than at any point in its 27-year history, with analysts warning that, absent intervention from President Donald Trump, the tech giant could face disintegration. The decision caps a two-year legal battle initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and eight states, setting the stage for a high-stakes remedies phase that could reshape the $700 billion global digital advertising industry.

The case, United States v. Google LLC (2023), filed on January 24, 2023, accused Google of illegally monopolizing the adtech market through acquisitions like DoubleClick in 2008 and anti-competitive practices that locked in advertisers and publishers. Following a trial from September 9 to September 27, 2024, and closing arguments on November 25, Judge Brinkema found Google guilty of violating Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Specifically, the court determined that Google unlawfully tied its ad server, DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP), with its ad exchange, AdX, and abused its monopoly power on the publisher side of the adtech stack, harming competition and inflating prices for advertisers and publishers.

However, the judge rejected the DOJ’s claim that Google monopolized the open-web display advertiser ad networks market, which facilitates ad buying outside closed ecosystems like Google Search or social media platforms.

“The plaintiffs failed to prove that the ‘open-web display advertiser ad networks’ are a relevant market where Google has monopoly power,” Brinkema wrote in her memorandum opinion.

Despite this partial victory for Google, the ruling’s focus on DFP and AdX, core components of its adtech empire, signals a severe blow to its business model.

Unprecedented Threat of Breakup

This ruling places Google closer to a breakup than ever before, surpassing even the scrutiny it faced during the 2018 EU Android case, which resulted in a €4.3 billion fine, or the 2000 Microsoft antitrust case, where a breakup order was overturned on appeal. The adtech verdict follows a separate August 2024 ruling by Judge Amit P. Mehta, who found Google illegally monopolized the general internet search market, with remedies expected by August 2025. Together, these decisions threaten to dismantle Google’s dominance across search and advertising, which generated $305.6 billion in revenue in 2023, primarily from ads.

Analysts see Google heading toward disintegration unless President Trump intervenes.

There has been a proposal for spinning off Google’s adtech unit, formerly DoubleClick, as a public-interest “B Corp” with capped profits to restore competition. Without political intervention, experts predict a fragmented Google, with its adtech and search businesses potentially operating as separate entities.

Potential Remedies

The court will now set a briefing schedule and hearing date to determine remedies, a process expected to unfold over the coming months.

Potential remedies include forcing Google to sell its Google Ad Manager suite, encompassing AdX and DFP, which could open the adtech market to rivals like The Trade Desk. The DOJ has also floated divestitures of Chrome or Android in the search case, raising the specter of a broader breakup. There is also a possibility of imposing restrictions to ensure fair competition, such as prohibiting Google from prioritizing its own exchange in auctions or mandating data sharing with competitors. These could preserve Google’s business while leveling the playing field. In monetary damages, the DOJ previously sought treble damages for federal agencies overcharged for ads, though specifics remain undecided.

The remedies phase is critical, as structural changes could transform the digital advertising industry, potentially boosting competitors and lowering ad prices. However, a publisher tech executive warned that divestitures might raise ad server costs, as Google’s DFP operates as a loss leader subsidized by AdX profits.

Likely Intervention from Trump

In its earlier argument, Google cited national security. The company’s legal team argued that breaking it up could pose a national security risk, with concerns that splitting off its Chrome browser and limiting investments, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), could weaken America’s technological edge. Many believe that President Trump, who has been pushing a “protectionist” economic agenda, will likely agree with the argument.

Analysts speculate that Trump’s DOJ might soften remedies, prioritizing economic growth over aggressive antitrust enforcement. Without such intervention, the momentum from Biden-era lawsuits suggests Google faces a real risk of disintegration, with divestitures potentially splitting its adtech and search empires.

Google plans to appeal, with spokesperson Kent Walker arguing the ruling ignores competition from Amazon, social media, and streaming TV. Google’s defense highlighted its investments in fighting ad fraud and spam, claiming its tools benefit small businesses.

With this ruling, Google’s troubles extend beyond the U.S. In the UK, a £5 billion class action lawsuit filed in April 2025 alleges similar adtech abuses, while the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued a statement of objections in September 2024, with a final decision expected by late 2025.