"In a 230-page ruling, District Court Judge Amit Mehta wrote that Google can no longer enter into exclusive distribution deals around making its search engine or its Gemini AI technology into a default option, and that it must share some search data with competitors, but stopped short of requiring it to spin off key assets, especially its Chrome web browser."
"Alphabet's shares surged to a record high Thursday, after U.S. regulators stepped back from a proposed set of new restrictions on large AI platforms - a decision that unexpectedly strengthened the hand of Google's parent company. But while regulatory relief is one factor, analysts say the real driver behind Google's market-breaking rally lies in the success of its competitors. In fact, that's what the judge in Google's antitrust case said, too."
U.S. regulators retreated from proposed restrictions on large AI platforms, coinciding with Alphabet's shares rising to a record high. A federal judge ruled Google can no longer make its search engine or Gemini AI the default through exclusive distribution deals and must share some search data with competitors, but did not force spin-offs of major assets such as the Chrome browser. The judge said the emergence of generative AI and rapid investment has altered the case. Analysts say Google's stock surge stems largely from competitors' advances by Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic, which increased AI adoption and benefited Google's services and cloud infrastructure. Bank of America noted Google's preserved search distribution position, though query-volume uncertainty remains.
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