Google Must Open Search Data To Competitors, U.S Court Rules

A U.S. federal court has ruled against government push to force Google to sell its Chrome web browser, but handed down strict measures aimed at curbing the company’s dominance in online search.

The decision, delivered Tuesday by Judge Amit Mehta, follows his earlier finding in 2024 that Google unlawfully maintained monopolies through multibillion-dollar distribution deals with Apple, Samsung, and other manufacturers.

Those arrangements, which kept Google as the default search engine on millions of devices, were judged to have shielded the company from rivals.

While prosecutors had urged the court to order a breakup of Chrome, arguing the browser is a vital entry point for internet activity and facilitates a third of Google searches, the court rejected the idea as “messy and highly risky.”

Instead, he opted for remedies designed to restore competition without dismantling the company.

Under the order, Google must provide qualified competitors with access to search index data and user interaction information, enabling them to improve their services.

The ruling also prohibits Google from using exclusive contracts to entrench dominance in emerging generative AI tools, a safeguard meant to prevent a repeat of its search monopoly in the new technology race.

“These are significant remedies,” the Justice Department said in response, though officials noted they would continue reviewing the opinion to consider further steps.

Google welcomed the ruling, emphasizing that competition in search has intensified with AI-driven platforms.

“This underlines what we’ve been saying since this case was filed in 2020: competition is intense and people can easily choose the services they want,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, the company’s vice president of regulatory affairs.

She also warned, however, that mandated data sharing could raise privacy concerns. The outcome was viewed as a major win for Google, as investors drove shares of parent company Alphabet up 7.5 percent in after-hours trading.

Apple stock also rose more than 3 percent, with analysts noting that the ruling preserves lucrative search deals between the two firms. By requiring Google to loosen its grip on data and contracts, the decision could reshape the balance of power in digital search and the fast-growing AI sector.

Google faces separate proceedings over its advertising business, while Apple, Amazon, and Meta are also under antitrust scrutiny.