Judge Imposes Curbs on Google Search Deals, Rejects DOJ’s Push for Breakup in Landmark Antitrust Ruling

A long-awaited decision from US District Judge Amit Mehta has imposed new restrictions on Google intended to curb its dominance in the online search market, but the tech giant avoided the most extreme penalties the federal government had requested, such as a forced breakup.

Judge Mehta ruled that Google must stop entering exclusive agreements that cover its main products, including Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app.

However, the company will not be required to sell off major assets like the Chrome browser or the Android operating system, which the Justice Department argued were central to restoring fair competition.

We obtained a copy of the ruling for you here.

“Plaintiffs overreached in seeking forced divestiture of these key assets, which Google did not use to effect any illegal restraints,” Mehta wrote in Tuesday’s decision.

The ruling, which spans 230 pages, ends a legal battle that began five years ago during the first Trump administration.

The case marked the Justice Department’s first major antitrust challenge in decades and targeted the core of Google’s business strategy.

Mehta had previously concluded that Google used unlawful methods to preserve its dominance by securing default placement on devices through massive contracts with companies like Apple and Samsung.

Despite that finding, his final order reflects a more restrained approach. He pointed to the evolving digital landscape and the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence as key factors influencing his judgment.

“There are strong reasons not to jolt the system and to allow market forces to do the work,” Mehta wrote.

While Google will no longer be allowed to enter exclusive search engine deals, the company can continue arranging for its services to be the default option on browsers and smartphones, as long as those deals are not exclusive.

The court rejected a blanket ban on payments to partners, noting that such a move could disrupt markets and harm consumers.

“Cutting off payments from Google almost certainly will impose substantial — in some cases, crippling — downstream harms,” the ruling stated.

The judge also ordered Google to make portions of its search index and certain user interaction data available to competitors.

However, this requirement was scaled back compared to what the Justice Department had originally proposed. Mehta explained that the relief should directly address the unlawful behavior without extending beyond what is necessary.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, saw its stock rise more than 6 percent in after-hours trading after the order was released.

During the remedies phase of the case, held earlier this year, artificial intelligence emerged as a central theme.

Despite the DOJ’s calls for structural remedies, Mehta rejected the idea of breaking up Google. He said Chrome is not a standalone business and remains deeply integrated into Google’s overall operations. Requiring its divestiture would be, in his words, “incredibly messy.”

He also emphasized the difficulty of crafting remedies in a rapidly evolving technology market.

“Here the court is asked to gaze into a crystal ball and look to the future,” Mehta wrote. “Not exactly a judge’s forte.”

Google had argued throughout the trial that the government’s proposals would effectively dismantle its search business.

The final order will remain in place for six years, though it may be put on hold while Google pursues an appeal. The company has already indicated plans to challenge the ruling.

Google’s legal troubles are not over. In a separate ruling earlier this year, a federal judge in Virginia found the company maintained an illegal monopoly in parts of the online advertising market. A hearing to determine potential remedies in that case is scheduled for September.

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