"Google dodged a bullet Tuesday when a federal judge ruled the company does not need to sell off the Chrome browser or Android as part of the landmark antitrust case against it. While Google faces penalties meant to boost competition, it avoided the most severe outcome-and that reprieve is giving hope to other Big Tech players."
"The Google penalty should allow all of those companies to take a collective breath, as Judge Amit Mehta accepted "in full" Google's proposed remedies, only tacking on a few modifications, while largely ignoring the government's suggestions. In fact, Mehta called the proposal to divest Chrome or Android an overreach on the part of the government."
"As part of his 226-page decision, Mehta wrote the rise of generative AI has "changed the course of this case," acknowledging that services like ChatGPT have upended the tech world. That line could be key in upcoming antitrust cases. If the case seems to be leaning against Big Tech, invoking AI and changing market conditions could be the corporate equivalent of a "get out of jail free" card."
A federal judge ruled Google does not have to sell the Chrome browser or Android, rejecting government calls for divestiture. Judge Amit Mehta accepted Google’s proposed remedies largely "in full," adding only minor modifications and labeling divestiture proposals as overreach. The decision explicitly cites the rise of generative AI, noting services like ChatGPT have altered market conditions. The ruling lowers the prospect of the harshest penalties and may influence other antitrust cases against Meta, Amazon, and Apple. Companies facing suits could argue evolving competition from AI and shifting market dynamics reduce the need for structural breakups.
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