Google will appear in a Virginia court on September 22 to challenge US government efforts to force a sale of part of its online ad business.

The case, led by the Department of Justice and multiple states, seeks to make Google divest its ad exchange AdX and open-source the auction mechanism that decides ad placements.

US District Judge Leonie Brinkema previously found Google held unlawful monopolies in web ad technology and will determine remedies after the trial.

Google, which had previously offered to sell AdX during EU antitrust talks, now proposes policy changes to allow publishers easier access to competing ad platforms.

The DOJ argues these changes are insufficient to restore competition and suggests Google should also be required to sell its publisher ad server if competition does not improve within four years.

A former News Corp executive, along with executives from DailyMail.com and Advance Local, are expected to testify.

This trial is part of a broader US antitrust crackdown on major tech firms, including ongoing cases against Meta, Amazon, and Apple.

🔗 Source: Reuters

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