Judge rules against forced sale of Google Chrome in landmark antitrust case

A federal judge has ruled that Google will not be forced to sell its Chrome browser, rejecting what was considered the most severe penalty sought by the U.S. government in a landmark antitrust case. The decision by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta follows his previous ruling that Google holds an illegal monopoly in the online search market.

While the ruling allows Google to keep its browser, it also imposes several significant restrictions on the company's business practices. Judge Mehta ordered Google to share some of its search data with rivals and barred the company from entering or maintaining exclusive contracts for the distribution of its products, including Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app.

Relief for Google, frustration for Critics

The ruling is widely seen as a major victory for Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc., whose stock price surged in after-hours trading following the news. Judge Mehta stated that the Justice Department "overreached" in its request to force the sale of Chrome, a move he described as "incredibly messy and highly risky".

He concluded that a forced sale would be a "poor fit" for the case, as there wasn't adequate proof that the browser was an "essential ingredient" in Google's search monopoly.

However, the decision drew swift criticism from some lawmakers and advocacy groups. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called the ruling "a slap on the wrist for unlawful behavior that warranted the breakup of this tech giant".

Similarly, Amnesty International expressed disappointment, with its Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, stating that forcing the sale of Chrome "could have marked a first step toward a digital world that respects our rights".

What's next for Google and the tech Industry

The ruling, which is one of the most significant court decisions affecting the tech sector in over a quarter century, could serve as a blueprint for similar cases against other tech giants like Meta, Amazon, and Apple.

Although Google was ordered to end exclusive contracts, Judge Mehta stopped short of banning the company from making payments to distributors. These multi-billion-dollar deals, such as the one with Apple to make Google the default search engine on its devices, were a key point of contention in the case.

The ruling also comes as the tech industry is being reshaped by advancements in artificial intelligence. Judge Mehta's decision was crafted to address both general search engines and the rise of AI search engines and chatbots, ensuring that Google's dominance in search doesn't extend into the generative AI space.

Google is still facing a separate hearing over its monopoly in online advertising technology.