Google does not have to sell its AdX ad exchange, but it must change how its ad tech works. On September 2, 2026, Judge Leonie Brinkema ordered six years of behavioral remedies, including Prebid interoperability, bid-data sharing and monitor oversight. The parties filed a proposed final judgment on October 2, and the latest reporting reviewed shows no final judgment entered yet.
By the Everything-PR Editorial Team
Published November 9, 2026. Updated November 9, 2026. Remedies status verified against court-filing coverage and trade press reporting through early October 2026.
The ad tech ruling is a useful moment for publishers, advertisers and independent vendors, because it sets a clear list of changes with a timetable. This guide covers what the court decided, what Google must change, what remains open and how communications teams can prepare. The case is moving, so readers should check the court docket for the latest filings.
Key points:
- The court rejected a forced sale of AdX and the other structural remedies the government sought
- Google must connect its tools to rivals, share bid data and operate without favoring its own tools
- The remedies run for six years under a monitor, and most are expected to be in effect within 15 months
- Parties disagreed in their October 2 filing on deadlines and the monitor's role
Table of contents
- What did the court decide?
- What must Google change?
- What is still undecided?
- What does it mean for advertisers and publishers?
- How should communications teams prepare?
- Frequently asked questions
What did the court decide?
The court decided that Google illegally monopolized two open-web ad tech markets but need not break up its business. Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled in April 2025 that Google unlawfully monopolized the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets and tied its ad server to its exchange.
On September 2, 2026, after a remedies trial held in September 2025, she rejected the government's structural proposals: divesting the AdX exchange, open-sourcing the final auction logic of the DFP ad server, and a contingent sale of remaining ad server components. She adopted most behavioral remedies with modifications. Her 106-page opinion was unsealed about two weeks later and says structural remedies are neither realistic nor needed, according to reporting by The Current.
Google said it was very pleased by the decision not to require a breakup, and it also said it disagrees with the liability ruling and will appeal, according to Reuters as published by The Star.
What must Google change?
Google must change four areas: interoperability, data sharing, non-discriminatory operation and buy-side restrictions. The table summarizes the order as described by trade press coverage of the unsealed opinion.
| Remedy area | What the order requires | Who stands to benefit |
|---|
| Interoperability | Connect AdX and the DFP ad server to Prebid, and let AdX bid in real time into rival publisher ad servers on equal terms | Publishers and rival ad servers |
| No forced bundling | Websites that use Google's ad server are not required to use AdX | Publishers |
| Data sharing | Share winning and losing AdX bid data, portable DFP data on open-web display ads and documentation of how DFP picks auction winners | Publishers and advertisers |
| Non-discrimination | Operate AdX and DFP without favoring Google's own tools | Rival ad tech vendors |
| Buy-side limits | Google's advertiser tool for the open web cannot bid directly into DFP or favor Google-owned tools | Rival buying platforms |
| Oversight | A monitor and technical committee oversee compliance for six years, and the court can extend the term | The market overall |
Accounts differ on the monitor. Reuters described an internal antitrust compliance monitor, while AdExchanger described a technical monitor with access to Google's staff, systems and source code, and The Next Web noted the discrepancy. Readers should rely on the final judgment for the exact structure.
What is still undecided?
The final judgment, its deadlines and the appeal path are still undecided. The court gave the parties 30 days after September 2 to submit a joint proposed final judgment, and PPC Land reported that the 41-page filing arrived on October 2, 2026 with disputed provisions.
- The sides disagreed on implementation deadlines. PPC Land's summary lists the government seeking six months and Google twelve for AdX bids into non-Google publisher ad servers.
- They disagreed on who nominates the monitor and how much authority it holds, according to AdExchanger.
- The remedy takes effect 60 days after the judge enters the final judgment, and the opinion expects the behavioral remedies to be in effect within 15 months, according to PPC Land and The Current.
- Google has said it will appeal the liability ruling.
The latest reporting reviewed for this article, dated early October, showed that no final judgment had been entered. Readers should confirm the docket (United States v. Google LLC, No. 1:23-cv-108) before relying on any date.
What does it mean for advertisers and publishers?
The order points to more choice and more transparency for publishers and buyers over the next two years. These are EPR's expectations, drawn from the order's contents, not predictions of specific outcomes.
- Publishers may be able to mix ad servers and exchanges more freely, since AdX must work with rival ad servers and Prebid
- Bid-data sharing could help publishers understand how auctions price their inventory
- Independent ad tech vendors gain a clearer path to compete, with a monitor watching for favoritism
- Advertisers can expect documentation of how DFP selects winners, which supports better planning
Everything-PR's reference on the wider stack is AdTech and MarTech in 2026: The Stack, and its look at budgets is Paid Media in the Answer Engine Era. Judge Brinkema also noted that Google's open-web display business has shrunk as a share of its activity, with advertiser impressions on AdWords falling from 40% in 2019 to 11% in 2025, according to The Current.
How should communications teams prepare?
Communications teams should prepare by tracking the docket, mapping which products are affected and planning calm, factual messages. A short routine keeps teams ready for each milestone.
- Follow the docket for the final judgment, effective date and monitor appointment.
- List which Google products your company uses, and which rivals you work with.
- Draft plain statements for clients and staff about what is and is not changing.
- Prepare for press questions about data access, fees and vendor choices.
- Review contracts for ad server and exchange commitments ahead of the timeline.
Dates to track
- April 2025: liability ruling on publisher ad server and ad exchange markets
- September 2, 2026: remedies decision rejecting a breakup
- Mid-September 2026: 106-page opinion unsealed
- October 2, 2026: proposed final judgment filed
- Entry of final judgment: effective 60 days later
Sources: The Current, What Google's unsealed ad tech ruling reveals, The Next Web, Judge's full ruling puts Google's ad tech business under a monitor, PPC Land on the October 2 proposed final judgment, AdExchanger on the proposed final judgments, Reuters via The Star, and Courthouse News.
Related links: AdTech and MarTech in 2026: The Stack, Paid Media in the Answer Engine Era, Ads in ChatGPT: What Advertisers Can Run Today, and 5W PR, creative and GEO agency.
