Judge Amit Mehta declined to require Google to divest its Chrome browser or the Android operating system, avoiding the strongest government remedies. The judge previously found that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly in search. Mehta ordered Google to share search-engine data with rivals and barred entering or maintaining certain exclusive distribution contracts for products including Chrome, Google Assistant and the Gemini app, while allowing continued payments to distributors such as Apple and Mozilla. The Department of Justice called the remedies significant. The decision angered critics and boosted Alphabet shares; a separate advertising trial remains scheduled.
A judge ruled on Tuesday that Google would not be forced to sell its Chrome browser or the Android operating system, saving the tech giant from the most severe penalties sought by the US government. The same judge had ruled in favor of US prosecutors nearly a year ago, finding that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly with its namesake search engine. Groups critical of Google's dominance in the internet search and online advertising industry are furious.
Judge Amit Mehta did order Google to share data from its search engine with its rivals. He also enjoined the company from entering or maintaining exclusive contracts relating to the distribution of its products including Chrome, Google Assistant and the Gemini app. That penalty will not, however, prevent it from paying distributors such as Apple and Mozilla, which use Google as the default search engine for their respective browsers. Google faces a separate hearing later this year over its monopoly over online advertising technology.
Collection
[
|
...
]