Google won't have to sell Chrome, after ruling in search antitrust trial

"Google won't be forced to sell its market-leading web browser Chrome and Android mobile operating system, although its exclusive search deals with handset manufacturers and ISPs have been prohibited in a landmark ruling in its year-long antitrust saga; developments that will unquestionably reshape the digital marketing industry. Justice Amit Mehta issued the orders today (Sept. 2) in a Washington D.C. court after initially ruling against Google almost a year ago, with lawyers for both sides pleading their cases after remedies were proposed in November 2024 when the Justice Department formally tabled its motion to force the sale of Chrome."

""Google will not be required to divest Chrome; nor will the court include a contingent divestiture of the Android operating system," reads the final judgment, which concludes that the DOJ "overreached in seeking forced divestiture of these key assets." However, it goes on to note how, "Google will be barred from entering or maintaining any exclusive contract relating to the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app.""

"The recommendations were made after the presiding judge found that Google had unlawfully maintained a monopoly in general search through exclusionary contracts with Apple, Mozilla, and Android manufacturers, thereby restricting the distribution of rival search engines, last year. In the same ruling, Mehta also found that Google had illegally preserved its search advertising monopoly by tying default agreements to ad revenue sharing, thereby foreclosing competition from Bing, DuckDuckGo, and other challengers."

Justice Amit Mehta issued a final judgment on Sept. 2 in Washington D.C. that declines to force the sale of Chrome or Android while banning exclusive distribution contracts tied to Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app. The judgment states the DOJ overreached in seeking forced divestiture of Chrome and Android but found that Google unlawfully maintained a search monopoly through exclusionary contracts with Apple, Mozilla, and Android manufacturers. The judgment also found illegal preservation of a search advertising monopoly by tying default agreements to ad revenue sharing, and Google plans to appeal.

Read at Digiday