# Google Adtech Stack Unchanged After Court Ruling

> Google avoids adtech breakup despite antitrust ruling, The Trade Desk's pitch weakens.
- Title: Google Adtech Stack Unchanged After Court Ruling · Adweek
- Summary: Google avoids adtech breakup despite antitrust ruling, The Trade Desk's pitch weakens. Google keeps its adtech stack intact after federal court ruled against…
- Keywords: google, the trade desk, adtech, antitrust, federal court, prebid, dfp, uid, uid 2.0, openpath, open web, Stack
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/programmatic/google-gets-to-keep-its-adtech-stack-intact-does-the-trade-desks-pitch-lose-its-punch
- Author: Kendra Barnett
- Published: 2026-10-01T20:00:32+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: google, the trade desk, adtech, antitrust, federal court, prebid, dfp, uid, uid 2.0, openpath, open web, ai
## Court Ruling on Google Adtech
A federal judge ruled Google would not be forced to break up its adtech stack despite finding illegal monopolies in ad exchange and publisher ad server markets.
## Google's Remedies
Google received small orders to connect AdX and DFP to Prebid, require same terms for bids, limit self-preferencing, and share ad auction data with publishers.
## The Trade Desk's Strategy
The Trade Desk built its business as an alternative to Google's closed ad ecosystems, launching identity resolution tools like UID and OpenPath to bypass Google.
## UID 2.0 and Cookie Policy
The Trade Desk's UID 2.0 translates user login data into pseudonymized tokens, but Google kept cookies in Chrome, stifling alternative ID solutions.
## OpenPath Launch
The Trade Desk launched OpenPath in 2022 to let advertisers transact directly with publishers, cutting fees and latency in ad buying.
## OpenPath's Value
OpenPath was designed to be a fairer alternative to Google's ad auction system, but court-ordered changes may reduce its competitive edge.
## The Trade Desk's Response
The Trade Desk's CEO Jeff Green criticized Google's post-cookie tools, saying they were inferior to UID 2.0, but Google kept cookies in Chrome.
## Google's Cookie Policy
Google decided to keep cookies in Chrome after years of postponing cookie-cutting, weakening The Trade Desk's alternative ID solutions.
## Court Impact on OpenPath
Court-ordered remedies require Google to make AdX bids through Prebid on same terms as DFP, potentially reducing OpenPath's value as a transparent alternative.
## The Trade Desk's Pitch
The Trade Desk pitched UID and OpenPath as alternatives to Google's walled garden adtech, but Google's actions have weakened their competitive advantage.
## Google's Open Web Decline
Google admitted the open web is in rapid decline, shifting focus to AI as its core search product transforms into an AI answer engine.
## The Trade Desk's Expansion
The Trade Desk broadened its strategy beyond Google and open web, investing in connected TV and agentic advertising.
## What Happens Next
The Trade Desk's alternative ad platform strategy faces challenges as Google's adtech stack remains largely intact, but the industry shifts toward AI-driven solutions.
## Key takeaway

Google keeps its adtech stack intact after federal court ruled against breaking it up, weakening The Trade Desk's alternative ad platform strategy.