"Google escaped having to divest its Chrome browser or Android operating system, the biggest remedies sought by the US government in the tech giant's landmark online search antitrust case. A breakup would have been a huge blow for Google's advertising business, cutting off key distribution points that help it collect mountains of user data and sell high-value targeted advertising. Google didn't come out of the yearslong trial entirely unscathed:"
"It will be barred from entering exclusive contracts with platforms like Apple to make it the default search engine on phones and browsers (Google can still strike non-exclusive deals to get products like search or Gemini preloaded, the judge said). It will also be forced to share some search data and syndication services with its rivals, though this doesn't extend to advertising data."
"For the companies that make up the online advertising ecosystem, it's a reminder that making money from selling ads on the web is getting harder every day. Google's dominance in traditional search advertising remains. And the move to force Google to share its search data with generative AI rivals could accelerate traffic declines as users opt for chatbot answers over website clicks, ad industry insiders told Business Insider"
Judge Amit P. Mehta rejected the government's request to force Google to divest Chrome or Android, preserving major distribution points for Google's advertising data collection. The ruling bars Google from exclusive default-search contracts with platforms like Apple while permitting non-exclusive preload deals. Google must share some search data and syndication services with rivals, but the mandate excludes advertising data. Market observers view the decision as favorable to Google and maintain that Google retains dominance in traditional search advertising. Requiring search data sharing with generative AI competitors could accelerate declines in website traffic as users increasingly accept chatbot answers instead of clicking through.
Read at Business Insider
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