Washington, United States (Enmaeya News) — Google avoided being broken up after a U.S. antitrust trial but now faces temporary limits that could weaken its control over search.
Federal Judge Amit Mehta ordered Google not to make exclusive deals that tie its search engine, Chrome browser, or Google Assistant to other apps, or link revenue-sharing deals to keeping its services pre-installed on devices.
The order also requires Google to share its search index and user data with qualified competitors and offer search and advertising services at standard rates. The goal is to give startups and smaller companies a better chance to compete.
The judge has not yet issued a final ruling. Google and the U.S. Department of Justice must submit a revised plan by Sept. 10. Once finalized, the ruling will last six years and take effect 60 days later.
This follows a 2024 finding that Google acted illegally to protect its monopoly. The DOJ had sought stronger actions, including forcing Google to give up Chrome or Android, and ending its billion-dollar deals with Apple and Samsung.
In 2021, Google spent over $26 billion to make its search engine the default on devices, including $18 billion to Apple, which shares about 36% of Safari search ad revenue.
Google says the government’s proposals could hurt innovation and user privacy. CEO Sundar Pichai called forced data sharing like being forced out of its core search business.
Experts compared the U.S. rules to Europe’s Digital Markets Act, which also requires Google to share search data. But the U.S. restrictions are temporary and narrower than the DOJ originally wanted.
The ruling may affect another Google case about its dominance in digital ads, with decisions expected later in September. Even so, Google’s legal battles could continue until 2027 or 2028.
