Speaking of ad tech… Google is preparing Ad Manager for a potential antitrust-mandated spinoff by courting ad agencies and exploring direct ad-buying tools, a shift from its traditional publisher-only focus. The $5B unit has struggled to adapt to streaming and app clients like Roku and Uber, falling behind rivals despite recent discounts and incentives, but now, with the DOJ pressing for a breakup, Google is doubling down on its efforts to ensure Ad Manager can stand on its own two feet if separated from the rest of its ad tech stack.
The Information reports:
- Last month, Google Ad Manager staff organized a dinner in New York for the largest advertising agencies, where they asked agency employees how they could work together — which surprised attendees because they were accustomed to dealing with a different division of Google that helps agencies buy ads.
- Google employees have known of the possibility that its ad tech unit might be broken up for several years now, according to one former employee.
- The former employee said that Google has internally discussed for years way to ensure that Ad Manager could be self-sufficient in order to defend itself against accusations that it's too tied into the company's other ad tech services, and to ensure that it could self-sustain if forced to spinoff.
Why the urgency now?
In August 2024, a D.C. judge ruled that Google held an illegal monopoly in search, and in April 2025, a Virginia judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized parts of the ad tech stack, specifically publisher ad servers and ad exchanges. The DOJ is arguing that a breakup is necessary, whereas Google is instead proposing making its tools more interoperable to avoid divestiture.
With the outcome uncertain, Google is hedging its bets and preparing the business to survive outside of its umbrella.