A U.S. federal court has rejected the Justice Department’s request to force the sale of the AdX ad exchange platform to Google, limiting its enforcement of behavioral restrictions.
The ruling marks the third time in recent years that a U.S. court has refused to comply with antitrust authorities’ demands to break up tech giants.
Judge Leonie Brinkema previously found the company guilty of illegally suppressing competition and creating a monopoly in the server and ad exchange markets. However, instead of forcing the sale of the assets, the court accepted the measures proposed by the company, including providing competitors with the opportunity to bet on real-time bets.
Justice Department officials said they were exploring further steps to restore fair competition, while Google executives welcomed the decision and stressed the importance of preserving tools that support small businesses.