Google Spared Chrome and Android Break-Up But Ordered to Share Data with Rivals

MOUNT VIEW, Calif., Sept. 3, 2025 — Google has been spared from selling its Chrome web browser but the search engine will have to share information with competitors, a US federal judge has ordered.

The modalities worked out by District Judge Amit Mehta have emerged after a prolonged court battle over Google's dominance in online search, reported Reuters.

The case predominantly revolved around Google's position as the default search engine on a range of its own products such as Android and Chrome as well as others made by the likes of Apple.

It was demanded by the US Department of Justice that Google sell Chrome but Tuesday's decision means the tech giant can keep it but it will be barred from having exclusive contracts and must share search data with rivals.

Google had sought relaxation and proposed solutions such as limiting its revenue-sharing agreements with companies like Apple to make its search engine the default on their devices and browsers

Takeaways of the Ruling You Should Know

Victory for Google: On Tuesday, the company hinted that it perceived the ruling as a victory, and said the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) likely contributed to the outcome.

“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,” Google said in a statement after the ruling.

“This underlines what we have been saying since this case was filed in 2020: Competition is intense and people can easily choose the services they want,” the statement continued.

Consistent Stand: Ever since the charges were first filed against Google in 2020, the tech giant had denied wrongdoing, attributing its market dominance to its search engine being a superior product to others which makes consumers to prefer it.

Last year, Judge Mehta in his ruling stated that Google had used unfair methods to establish a monopoly over the online search market, actively working to maintain a level of dominance to the extent it broke US law.

However, in his decision, Judge Mehta said a complete sell-off of Chrome was “a poor fit for this case.”

Android in its Kitty: Google has also been spared from selling off its Android operating system, which powers most of the world's smartphones. The company had argued that giving away parts of its operations, such as Android, would adversely impact their functioning.

“Today’s remedy order agreed with the need to restore competition to the long-monopolized search market, and we are now weighing our options and thinking through whether the ordered relief goes far enough in serving that goal,” Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater wrote on X after the ruling.

How Did the Court Ruling Had an Overall Impact

In response to the ruling in favour of Google, shares of Alphabet jumped as much as 8 percent in extended trade, also taking the Nasdaq futures higher with them.

The verdict has dealt a body blow to the US Department of Justice, who had filed the antitrust case against Alphabet in 2020. Judge Amit Mehta has stopped Google from entering into exclusive contracts for internet search like the one it has with Apple. However, deals that allow an option to make Chrome the default search browser, are allowed.

“Cutting off payments from Google almost certainly will impose substantial — in some cases, crippling — downstream harms to distribution partners, related markets, and consumers, which counsels against a broad payment ban,” the judge wrote.

Last year, another US court had observed that Google illegally monopolised the market for online search and advertising. The final verdict will be delivered on September 10.

Apple does a preferential treatment to the Google search by giving it the best placement on the Safari search bar on its Mac and iPhones. Users can switch to Bing, DuckDuckGo and other options.

The recent verdict would lead to a status quo for Apple and allows the maker of iPhone to continue getting payments from Google for this favour, which amounts to at least $20 billion. Apple shares also rose 3 percent in extended trading.

Judge Mehta said in his ruling that the government “overreached in seeking forced divesture of these key assets, which Google did not use to effect any illegal restraints.”

Google is facing another possible breakup in second Justice Department case challenging its monopoly over technology used to buy, sell and display advertising around the web. US District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia ruled in favor of the government earlier this year and will hold a hearing in September to determine whether to force the company to sell tools used by websites selling ad space.

Google will also not have to sell off its Android operating system, which powers most of the world's smartphones.

Inputs from Saqib Malik

Editing by David Ryder