US Court's Ruling on Google Search Data Sharing May Reduce Entry Barriers

A US court has ruled that Google must share some of its search engine data with competitors, but the company will not be forced to divest Chrome or Android. This decision may reduce entry barriers for competitors, but Google may still have non-exclusive arrangements to preload or distribute applications. The court order is narrower and more temporary than the EU's Digital Markets Act, which imposes stricter obligations on Google. Google's stock jumped 8% after the announcement, indicating a relatively positive market reaction.

A U.S. court has ruled that Google must share some of its search engine data with competitors, but the company will not be forced to divest Chrome or Android. This decision may reduce entry barriers for competitors, but Google may still have non-exclusive arrangements to preload or distribute applications. The court order is narrower and more temporary than the EU's Digital Markets Act, which imposes stricter obligations on Google. Google's stock jumped 8% after the announcement, indicating a relatively positive market reaction.

The ruling comes from a lengthy trial in the U.S. v. Google monopolization case, where Google was found liable for maintaining an illegal monopoly in internet-search and search-advertising markets. Judge Amit Mehta's remedies decision, issued on September 2, 2025, imposed several restrictions on Google's business conduct. Google must now disclose material changes in its ad auctions, make available certain search-index and user-interaction data to "Qualified Competitors," and offer search and search-text ads-syndication services on commercial terms. However, the court rejected more intrusive remedies proposed by the DOJ, such as divestiture of Chrome and Android Perplexity raises $200M, valuing the AI search engine startup at $20 billion - report^[1].

The court's decision is narrower than the EU's Digital Markets Act, which requires Google to open up its search and ad tech services, including data sharing, to competitors. The EU's Act also mandates that Google allow third-party apps to access its services, which could further challenge Google's dominance The Google Remedies Decision and Big Tech Antitrust^[2].

Google's stock price reacted positively to the news, jumping 8% following the announcement. The market reaction suggests that investors view the ruling as less harmful to Google's competitive vitality compared to the more stringent EU regulations.

The ruling also highlights the court's skepticism of highly interventionist antitrust remedies targeting monopolists. The decision may encourage other digital platforms to reassess their antitrust litigation strategies, potentially leading to more balanced and less regulatory-focused remedies.