Google must connect its ad exchange to rival ad tech and let publishers take their data elsewhere, under a court opinion unsealed on 16 September in the US government's ad tech case [1].
Judge Leonie M. Brinkema found that "structural remedies are neither realistic nor needed", and that behavioural remedies will be enough to "effectively pry open to competition" the markets Google monopolised [1].
She adopted Google's proposed six-year term for the final judgment, rather than the 15 years the government sought [1].
What it covers
The opinion requires interoperability between Google's AdX and DFP and Prebid, the open-source header-bidding standard, and between AdX and rival publisher ad servers [1].
Google must also share data with publishers, publish technical documentation for DFP, and follow rules against discriminatory bidding. A monitor and a technical committee will oversee compliance [1].
The court expects the monitor, the committee and the technical work to take about a year to set up [1].
The Justice Department called the ruling "a significant victory" and said it was reviewing its options. Its release does not mention that the breakup it asked for was rejected [2].
What it does not tell you
The final wording. The parties must still agree a proposed final judgment [1].
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