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A federal judge has decided that Google will not be compelled to sell off its Chrome browser or Android operating system, avoiding the most drastic result in the historic antitrust case against the company. “Google will not be required to divest Chrome; nor will the court include a contingent divestiture of the Android operating system in the final judgment,” the filing read. Instead, remedies intended to weaken Google's hold on the Search market were ordered by US District Judge Amit Mehta. Exclusive contracts that made the company's search engine, Chrome, Assistant, and Gemini app the default on millions of devices must be terminated. While advertising data is still off-limits, it must also share certain search index and user interaction data with eligible competitors. Compliance will be tracked by an oversight body for six years, the judge said.
The ruling is based on a 2020 Justice Department case that claimed Google had engaged in multibillion-dollar default placement agreements with partners like Apple and Samsung to unlawfully retain a monopoly in online search. According to reports, Google paid Apple over $20 billion in 2022 alone to keep Safari as the primary search engine. However, the Justice Department's more forceful demands such as the dissolution of Chrome or Android were dismissed in the court. Such actions, according to Mehta, would be "messy and highly risky," adding that illicit activity was not the only factor contributing to Google's market dominance.
Google's appeal
The trial spotlighted Google’s dominance at a time when its core business faces pressure from AI-driven challengers. Mehta emphasized that remedies should ensure that the company’s monopoly does not extend into generative AI.
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