For many large publishers, the court’s refusal to force a Google AdX breakup didn’t land as a shock, or even much of a defeat. After years of tough talk about “teaching Google a lesson,” several senior commercial execs say the dominant feeling is more complicated: a mix of relief that the most disruptive scenario was avoided and resignation that, once again, nothing truly structural will change.Feelings run from those who actively wanted Google’s ad stack separated, to pragmatists who dreaded years of disruption, to a large group who never thought divestiture was remotely realistic.
“People are disappointed,” said Scott Messer, an independent ad-tech consultant and former publisher revenue executive. “There’s the chaos agents who want to see it burn to the ground, and then there’s the ‘well, I guess it pays to be a monopolist’ camp.”
Some never believed a divestiture would be a constructive outcome for publishers. It would simply shift the power to a different owner rather than change market dynamics. “You’d create another monster,” said a senior publisher exec at a news organization, who requested anonymity given the trial is ongoing. “This way, they’ve ruled against Google, they can force changes, and they still keep the option to go harder later if Google doesn’t move.”
