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Judge Spares Chrome and Android, Orders Google to Share Search Data and End Exclusive Defaults

The ruling imposes data access and non‑exclusivity rules to curb Google’s search power, protecting nascent AI competition.

Overview

  • Divestiture was rejected as the court barred exclusive default and tying contracts across Search, Chrome, Google Assistant and the Gemini app, including bans on requiring preloads or conditioning revenue shares on placement.
  • Google must provide specified search index and user‑interaction data to qualified rivals and offer search and text‑ad syndication on commercial terms, with advertising data excluded.
  • Non‑exclusive payments for placement may continue, preserving the lucrative GoogleApple default search arrangement reported at roughly $20 billion per year.
  • Parties were directed to submit a revised final judgment by September 10, with remedies expected to begin about 60 days after entry, run for six years and be monitored by a technical committee.
  • Google said it will appeal, and Alphabet shares rose roughly 7–8% in late trading following the decision.