Google has successfully thwarted the US government’s attempt to force the sale of its Chrome browser in a landmark antitrust case. A federal judge decided against the breakup, pointing to the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence as a key reason for the reprieve. The court noted that AI models from companies like OpenAI and Perplexity AI are poised to challenge the traditional search industry.
The verdict, delivered by Judge Amit Mehta, represents a significant victory for the tech giant, which had been facing the most substantial antitrust challenge in decades. While the judge had previously found Google guilty of illegally monopolizing online search, he argued that the competitive landscape has been fundamentally altered by generative AI, making a forced sale of Chrome an excessive and unnecessary remedy.
However, the ruling is not a complete absolution for Google. The company must now adhere to new regulations aimed at leveling the playing field. This includes a prohibition on exclusivity deals and a requirement to provide competitors with access to some of its search data. These measures are intended to promote competition in the search market without dismantling the company.
While Google celebrated keeping its assets intact, rivals expressed disappointment. The CEO of DuckDuckGo, a competitor search engine, stated that the court-ordered remedies do not adequately address Google’s monopolistic behavior. The decision underscores the immense difficulty the US government faces in its efforts to rein in the power of Big Tech through legal challenges.