Antitrust Verdict: Google Dodges Chrome Split, Faces Data-Sharing Mandate

Published: 03 Sep 2025

Author: Precedence Research

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In the hearing of the monopoly case, Google has witnessed a rare win as a U.S. judge ruled that the big tech company does not need to sell its browser, Chrome; however, Google must share data on search queries with rival companies. By rejecting the government's demand for Google to sell its Chrome browser due to a major antitrust case. According to the statement, Google must make search index data and user interaction data available to qualified competitors, which rival companies can utilize to further enhance their services. And this should be offered by the company for up to the next five years.

In addition to this, the ruling also addresses the ongoing threat due to emerging technology of generative Artificial Intelligence chatbots such as ChatGPT and extended restrictions that stop Google from leveraging exclusive deals to surpass the AI sector, as it already did with conventional search methods. The U.S. District Court for the Columbia District also imposed regulations on payments that Google utilizes to confirm its search engine receives prime space in web browsers running on smartphones of many individuals. However, the court has stopped short of banning those payments completely and did not accept the government’s request to sell the Chrome browser of Google.

According to the antitrust case filed against Google, the company is allegedly maintaining its monopoly in online search through exclusive distribution agreements worth billions of dollars annually. This case is mainly focused on expensive distribution agreements of Google with smartphones like Apple, Samsung, and others, where they have established Google as a default search engine on iPhones and other smartphones. This ruling on Tuesday was an outcome of a five-year legal battle between the U.S. government and the world’s tech giant, Google, in which antitrust regulators raised questions about the big tech company's methods of market domination, arguing that its approach was illegal and inappropriate.

Amidst sharing data with rivals is anticipated to strengthen rivals based on Google's advertising business, but not needing to sell the Chrome browser was a relief for Google and its investors.