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Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025
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Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
A U.S. judge declined to break up Google, instead imposing targeted remedies on its search business, sending Alphabet and Apple shares higher.
A U.S. federal judge has ruled that Alphabet Inc.’s Google will not face a structural breakup despite earlier findings that it maintained an illegal monopoly in search.
The decision, delivered on September 2, 2025, spares Google from divesting its Chrome browser or Android operating system, while imposing targeted measures to limit anti-competitive practices.
The ruling bars Google from exclusive distribution contracts with device makers such as Apple and requires the company to share certain data and search index information with rivals.
The remedies, which remain in force for five years with a possible one-year extension, are designed to foster competition without dismantling the company.
Judge Amit P. Mehta emphasized the emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools as a factor reshaping the market, noting that new technologies are creating alternative pathways for users to access information.
Financial markets reacted positively.
Alphabet’s shares rose about seven percent in after-hours trading, while Apple’s shares gained roughly three percent.
Apple, which receives billions annually from Google to make its search engine the default on iPhones and other devices, benefited from the court’s decision to preserve existing business ties.
The ruling is considered a pragmatic approach that avoids destabilizing structural change while addressing long-standing concerns about exclusivity and data access.
However, it does not end Google’s legal challenges.
A separate antitrust case focusing on the company’s dominance in digital advertising remains ongoing, with further proceedings expected.
The outcome underscores a global debate on how best to regulate Big Tech in an era where artificial intelligence is transforming how information is searched, shared, and monetized.
The decision, delivered on September 2, 2025, spares Google from divesting its Chrome browser or Android operating system, while imposing targeted measures to limit anti-competitive practices.
The ruling bars Google from exclusive distribution contracts with device makers such as Apple and requires the company to share certain data and search index information with rivals.
The remedies, which remain in force for five years with a possible one-year extension, are designed to foster competition without dismantling the company.
Judge Amit P. Mehta emphasized the emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools as a factor reshaping the market, noting that new technologies are creating alternative pathways for users to access information.
Financial markets reacted positively.
Alphabet’s shares rose about seven percent in after-hours trading, while Apple’s shares gained roughly three percent.
Apple, which receives billions annually from Google to make its search engine the default on iPhones and other devices, benefited from the court’s decision to preserve existing business ties.
The ruling is considered a pragmatic approach that avoids destabilizing structural change while addressing long-standing concerns about exclusivity and data access.
However, it does not end Google’s legal challenges.
A separate antitrust case focusing on the company’s dominance in digital advertising remains ongoing, with further proceedings expected.
The outcome underscores a global debate on how best to regulate Big Tech in an era where artificial intelligence is transforming how information is searched, shared, and monetized.
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