In Major Antitrust Setback, US Judge Mehta Orders Google To Share Data With Rivals But Declines Chrome Breakup

A US federal judge on Tuesday (2 September) ordered Google to provide search results and some data to competitors, while rejecting calls for the tech giant to sell off its Chrome browser, New York Times reported.

Judge Amit P Mehta of the District Court for the District of Columbia delivered the ruling.

The outcome is less extensive than the US government’s sweeping proposal to curb Silicon Valley’s dominance.

In a 223-page judgment, Judge Mehta directed Google to share selected search data with “qualified competitors” to address monopoly concerns.

The Justice Department had pushed for forcing the tech giant to share even more of its data, arguing it was key to Google’s dominance.

The court also restricted Google’s practice of making payments to secure default search placement on browsers and mobile devices.

However, the ruling did not impose a full ban on such payments and rejected the government’s demand for Google to divest Chrome, which the government said was necessary to remedy the company’s power as a search monopoly.

"Notwithstanding this power, courts must approach the task of crafting remedies with a healthy dose of humility,” Judge Mehta said in the decision.

“This court has done so," he added.

This ruling marks the first major monopoly remedy of the modern internet era.

It is considered the most significant antitrust intervention since the Microsoft case two decades ago.

Google has confirmed plans to appeal, suggesting the legal battle may continue for years.

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