Judge orders changes to Google’s digital ads business but spares it from a breakup

印刷用画面を開く

Posted

Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. monopoly / məˈnɒp ə li / (n.) – complete control of a product, service, or business market by one company or group, so that no other companies can compete with them
    Example:

    Without any competitors, a business with a monopoly can raise prices as high as it wants.


  2. wrenching / ˈren tʃɪŋ / (adj.) – very stressful or very painful
    Example:

    Selling the family store after fifty years in business was a wrenching decision for the owners.


  3. rebuff / rɪˈbʌf / (v.) – to firmly reject, refuse, or turn down an offer, proposal, or request
    Example:

    City officials rebuffed the residents’ request to build a new park in the neighborhood.


  4. traction / ˈtræk ʃən / (n.) – the strength, progress, or support that a new idea, business, or product gets to help it grow and succeed
    Example:

    The new social media app quickly gained traction among college students across the country.


  5. adamantly / ˈæd ə mənt li / (adv.) – in a very strong and firm way that shows one will not change one’s mind or opinion
    Example:

    The company adamantly refused to reduce its prices despite strong complaints from customers.


Article

Read the text below.

A federal judge ordered Google to retool the system powering its monopoly in digital advertising, sparing the company from a wrenching breakup sought by the U.S. government.


The initial two-page decision by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia marks the second time in a year that Google has received a reprieve from a Justice Department (DOJ) proposal to dismantle its internet empire. Meanwhile, what courts have described as the company’s anti-competitive practices have enriched Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., which has a market value of $4.11 trillion.


The judge’s full opinion, which includes the specific remedies, remained under seal for 14 days to allow the parties to review it and propose any necessary redactions.


“We’re very pleased the Court rejected the DOJ’s proposal to break apart tools that help small businesses reach new customers and grow,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president for regulatory affairs.


After a judge declared Google’s ubiquitous search engine an illegal monopoly in 2024, the Justice Department pushed for a penalty that would have required the company to sell its popular Chrome web browser. But it was rebuffed in September 2025 by another federal judge overseeing that case.


Now, Brinkema has also rejected the government’s argument that Google should be forced to sell parts of the technology underlying a Byzantine system that generates a significant portion of the company’s nearly $400 billion in annual ad sales.


Critics of Big Tech condemned the ruling.


“It takes an Olympic level of mental gymnastics to find that Google is operating an illegal monopoly and then decide to do nothing about it,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project. “With Big Tech continuing to suffocate new and innovative businesses from gaining traction, Judge Brinkema, like (U.S. District Judge Amit) Mehta before her, is sending the wrong message at the wrong time.”


Brinkema is adopting an approach that the Justice Department adamantly opposed last November when the judge heard closing arguments during the trial’s remedy phase. The ad tech case dates back to the government’s 2023 filing of an antitrust lawsuit that resulted last year in an illegal monopoly judgment.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • A federal judge ordered Google to retool its digital advertising system but saved the company from a wrenching breakup. How do you think Google’s monopoly in digital advertising affects small businesses trying to reach new customers and grow? In your opinion, does a company controlling most of an online market help or hurt average internet users? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, is it ever okay for one company to completely control a specific product or service? Why do you say so? What kind of situation might make a monopoly a good thing for people? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The Justice Department pushed to dismantle Google’s internet empire, but federal judges rejected the government’s arguments. How do you feel when legal experts disagree on whether to break apart a company operating an illegal monopoly? Does this kind of disagreement make you trust the legal system more, or does it make you feel uncertain? Why? Discuss.
  • Google’s ad tech case dates back to a 2023 lawsuit that took years to reach a remedy ruling. In your opinion, does a slow legal process make it harder to stop unfair business practices, or is that extra time necessary to avoid sending the wrong message? What makes you say so? Discuss.