Alphabet’s Google will have to share some of its search data with competitors, but will not have to sell its popular Chrome web browser, a federal judge ruled Tuesday in the Justice Department’s landmark antitrust case against the search engine.
The ruling allows Google to avoid one of the most severe remedy requests from the US government after the court found the company had an illegal monopoly in the search market. Judge Amit Mehta did bar Google from entering into exclusive contracts for internet search.The finding follows Mehta’s ruling last year that Google illegally monopolized the markets for online search and search advertisements. Mehta held a three-week hearing in April to determine a fix.
The order is one of the most monumental court decisions affecting the tech sector in more than a quarter century, and could offer a blueprint for other judges who may end up weighing similar choices in cases against Meta Platforms, Amazon and Apple.
For instant reaction and analysis, Bloomberg Businessweek Daily hosts Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec speak with:
- Bloomberg Intelligence Global Head of Technology Research Mandeep Singh and Bloomberg News Senior Executive Editor for Global Tech Tom Giles
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