US court allows Google to keep paying Apple to be Safari’s default — ruling explained
A U.S. federal judge ruled that Google may continue paying partners, including Apple, to be the default search engine in Safari. The court found Google had maintained an unlawful monopoly in search, but it declined to ban default-search payment deals or require the sale of Chrome.
Key points
- The judge determined that forbidding Google’s default-search payments could cause more harm than good and therefore allowed them to continue for now.
- Google was found to have an illegal monopoly in search, but remedies focus on data sharing and restrictions on exclusive default deals rather than breaking up the company.
- The court rejected the Department of Justice’s request to force Google to sell the Chrome browser.
- The ruling requires Google to share certain search data with competitors moving forward.
Implications
The decision preserves a major revenue stream for partners like Apple while opening access to some Google search data that could help competitors. The DOJ may appeal, and further remedies could follow as the case proceeds through the appeals process.
What do you think this means for competition and the future of browsers? Share your thoughts below.