Google Escapes Chrome Sell-Off but Ordered to Share Search Data With Rivals

Google has avoided being forced to sell its Chrome web browser after a landmark antitrust ruling in the U.S., but the company will now have to open up its search data to competitors and end exclusive deals that cement its dominance.

The decision, issued on Tuesday by District Judge Amit Mehta, comes after a lengthy legal battle over Google’s control of the online search market. The case focused on how Google secured its position as the default search engine across its own products, including Android and Chrome, as well as on devices made by partners like Apple.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had pushed for a more dramatic outcome, including forcing Google to divest Chrome entirely. Judge Mehta, however, ruled that a full sell-off would be “a poor fit for this case.” Instead, Google must now share valuable search data with competitors and is prohibited from signing exclusive contracts for products such as Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and its Gemini AI app.

The ruling also ends Google’s practice of paying billions annually to smartphone manufacturers to secure default placement of its search engine. Court documents revealed that in 2021 alone, Google spent over $26 billion on such agreements with Apple, Mozilla, and others.

Relief for Rivals and Device Makers

With this decision, companies like Apple, Samsung, and Motorola will now be free to promote or pre-load alternative search engines and browsers. However, Google will still be allowed to pay partners for non-exclusive distribution rights, meaning it can continue competing for default positions, just not exclusively.

Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, described the outcome as “good news for big tech,” noting that Apple benefits from annual renegotiations of its lucrative search deal with Google.

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, saw its shares surge by more than 8% following the announcement, a sign that investors viewed the ruling as less severe than feared. Melissa Otto, head of research at S&P Global Visible Alpha, said the decision was “not as draconian as the market was expecting.”

Mixed Reactions

While Google celebrated the ruling as a validation of its position, Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater said the DOJ was still reviewing whether the measures go far enough to restore competition. “We are now weighing our options and thinking through whether the ordered relief goes far enough in serving that goal,” she said in a statement on X.

Some rivals, however, were disappointed. DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg criticized the outcome, saying it failed to adequately address Google’s “illegal behavior.” “As a result, consumers will continue to suffer,” he added.

Ongoing Legal Battles

This ruling is just one front in Google’s wider legal challenges. Later this month, the company faces another trial in a separate case where the DOJ alleges Google holds illegal monopolies in online advertising technology.

Despite the partial victory, Google’s search business – which is expected to generate close to $200 billion this year – remains under intense scrutiny as regulators continue to examine the company’s influence over the digital economy.

In its statement following the ruling, Google highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in shaping how people access information. “Today’s decision recognizes how much the industry has changed through the advent of AI, which is giving people so many more ways to find information,” the company said, maintaining that competition in search remains “intense.”