Judge: Google Keeps Chrome but Must Change Business Practices — Ruling Explained

A federal judge, Amit Mehta, has ruled that Google will not be required to divest its Chrome browser, rejecting the Department of Justice’s request to force a breakup. However, the court ordered significant changes to Google’s distribution and data-sharing practices to address antitrust concerns.

Key points

• Google will not be forced to sell Chrome or divest Android; the court found the DOJ’s proposed divestiture remedies were an overreach.
• Google is prohibited from using exclusive distribution deals for Search, Google Assistant, Gemini or Chrome. For example, device makers can no longer be required to preload Google apps to access the Play Store, nor can revenue-sharing be conditioned on app placement.
• Google must share certain search-related data with competitors to narrow the quality gap caused by exclusive distribution, though ad-related data is excluded.
• The ruling allows Google to continue paying partners for preloads, with the judge noting that abruptly ending those deals could harm distribution partners, related markets, and consumers.

Google’s response

Google said it has “concerns” about aspects of the ruling, particularly around how data-sharing requirements might affect users and privacy, and is reviewing the decision closely.

Implications

The decision is partly a win for Google—avoiding a forced breakup—while imposing new limits intended to reduce anticompetitive leverage from distribution agreements and data scale. The ruling may prompt future litigation or appeals and could reshape how search competition operates, especially as AI changes how people find information.

Read more

Detailed coverage and analysis: CCIA: Judge issues decision on Google search remedies in DOJ antitrust case

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