Google Defends Meta Deal, Ad Tech Empire From Antitrust Threat

A 2018 advertising pact between Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Meta Platforms Inc. doesn’t violate antitrust law because it doesn’t restrict Facebook from using rival ad exchanges, Google’s attorney told a federal judge.

Texas and a group of other states sued Google over the agreement, nicknamed Jedi Blue, as well as other anticompetitive conduct they allege allowed the search giant to monopolize the market for the technology to buy, sell and service online advertising. Both Google and Meta, which is not a defendant in the case, have defended the agreement and denied any wrongdoing.

“The written agreement itself has nothing ...