A US federal court has ruled that Google you won't have to part with it Chrome as part of the measures in the historic antitrust case. The decision keeps the company's most used browser in the world and moves away from the more drastic proposals demanded by some of the prosecution, such as offer to buy Google Chrome which was even mentioned.
The ruling, however, imposes relevant conditions: exclusivity agreements for the distribution of several products are prohibited and Google must share part of your index and search signals with competitors who meet specific eligibility criteria.
What exactly does the ruling include?
The judgment, signed by Judge Amit Mehta, rejects the request for compulsory divestment and emphasizes that the plaintiffs They overstepped their bounds by demanding the sale of key assetsThe judge also points out that the technological context has changed with the emergence of AI, an element that influences how abuses of power in searches are remedied.
Among the behavioral measures, the court prohibits Google sign exclusive distribution contracts related to Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app. The company may continue to enter into commercial agreements for pre-installation or default placement, but without making them subject to exclusivity.
The judge also ordered the company to provide qualified rivals with access to certain query and interaction data with the search engine, under safeguards and without including advertising information. The goal is to reduce the advantage that Google gains from the massive volume of usage signals accumulated over the years.
The resolution also rules out additional structural measures, such as breaking up the company's mobile ecosystem: There will be no Android spin-off, in line with debates on the union of Android and Chrome OSMehta believes that such a remedy would be disproportionate and potentially harmful to users.
Control over default positions is limited: the court focuses on practices that ensured the prominence of the search engine, but does not prohibit all payments to partnersManufacturers and navigators will be able to negotiate, provided there are no clauses that exclude alternatives.
Reactions and next steps
Google has acknowledged that the search market is evolving with AI, although it expressed concern about the scope of the obligations: the company says it will review the text and is concerned about the user privacy when sharing data with third parties.
In the markets, the news was interpreted as a relief for the technology company: Alphabet shares rose around 8% after the ruling was announced, while other ecosystem partners also reacted with progress in extended negotiations.
Among industry players, there were mixed readings. Competitors like DuckDuckGo showed disagreement with the forcefulness of the measures considering that Google could maintain key advantages, while in the Firefox sector there was a sigh of relief that financing agreements that depend on Google's search engine remaining the default option were not jeopardized.
During the process, it became known that third parties such as OpenAI or Perplexity They were singled out in reports and public debates as potential interested parties if a sale were forced; with the current decision, that scenario is ruled out, and there will be no transfer of Chrome.
The case is now entering its final implementation phase. The parties will meet again to finalize operational details and schedules, and appeals are not ruled out to prolong the judicial process. In parallel, Google is facing other legal challenges related to advertising and its app store, although outside the scope of this ruling focused on Chrome and search.
The photograph left by the ruling is clear: Chrome stays at Google, but with a framework of obligations that reduces exclusivity and opens a data window to qualified rivals; a balance that seeks to preserve competition without dismantling key elements of the ecosystem.
