Google does not need to promote Chrome, ...

Google won’t need to divest its Chrome browser however should change a few of its enterprise practices, a federal choose has dominated. The ruling comes greater than a yr after the identical choose dominated that Google had acted illegally to keep up a monopoly in web search.

Following the ruling final yr, the Division of Justice had proposed that Google needs to be compelled to promote Chrome. However in a 230-page decision, Decide Amit Mehta mentioned the federal government had “overreached” in its request. “Google won’t be required to divest Chrome; nor will the courtroom embrace a contingent divestiture of the Android working system within the closing judgment,” Mehta wrote. “Plaintiffs overreached in searching for compelled divesture of those key property, which Google didn’t use to impact any unlawful restraints.”

Google will, nevertheless, now not be permitted to strike unique offers across the distribution of search, Google Assistant, Gemini or Chrome, Mehta dominated. For instance, Google cannot require gadget makers to pre-load its apps as a way to get entry to the Play Retailer. It can also’t situation revenue-sharing preparations on the location of its apps. However Google will be capable to proceed to pay companions — like Apple — for pre-loading search and different apps into their merchandise. Mehta mentioned that ending these preparations might trigger “downstream harms to distribution companions, associated markets, and customers.”

Mehta additionally dominated that Google might want to share a few of its search information with rivals going ahead. “Making information out there to rivals would chop the dimensions hole created by Google’s unique distribution agreements and, in flip, the standard hole that adopted,” he wrote. The corporate isn’t required at hand over information associated to its adverts.

Mehta’s ruling is essentially a win for the search large, which had argued that divesting Chrome or Android “would hurt People and America’s international expertise management.” In a statement Tuesday, Google mentioned it had “issues” about some facets of the ruling.

“In the present day’s determination acknowledges how a lot the business has modified by way of the arrival of AI, which is giving folks so many extra methods to seek out info,” the corporate mentioned. “Now the Courtroom has imposed limits on how we distribute Google companies, and would require us to share Search information with rivals. We’ve got issues about how these necessities will influence our customers and their privateness, and we’re reviewing the choice intently.”

The corporate beforehand indicated it plans to appeal Mehta’s authentic determination, however mentioned in June it might look ahead to a closing determination within the case.

Replace, September 2, 2025, 4:28PM PT: This publish has been up to date so as to add a press release from Google on the ruling.