By Ronan Shields
Publication Date: 2026-01-21 05:01:00
The crunch moment in Google’s antitrust battles with the Justice Department over its ad tech stack looms ever closer, with Justice Leonie Brinkema expected to issue her remedies ruling by the close of Q1.
While these deliberations take place in the chambers of a courtroom in the Eastern District of Virginia, developments elsewhere underscore the political undercurrents at play, namely the push to limit Big Tech’s power.
As scrutiny intensifies in the U.S. courts, the European Commission is moving in parallel — probing whether Google’s recent changes to its ad tech stack meaningfully address longstanding competition concerns, or merely repackage its dominance.
Sounding opinions
Consultations with publishers and industry players are already underway and signal that Brussels is far from satisfied, even as Google touts incremental reforms.
The latest developments underscore how Europe’s intervention could shape the next phase of global remedies, with a…