In a major relief for Google, a United States judge has ruled that the company will not be forced to sell Chrome or Android, even though it lost a significant antitrust case. Instead, Google must stop making exclusive agreements such as its billion-dollar deal with Apple and will be required to share parts of its search data with competitors. While the ruling is focused on the United States, Indian users of Chrome and Android are unlikely to see immediate changes.
The case was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, which accused Google of behaving like a monopoly by controlling around 90 per cent of the search market through exclusive deals. One such agreement involved paying Apple billions of dollars to remain the default search engine on iOS devices.
In August last year, Google lost the case, raising the possibility that the company might be forced to sell Chrome, the world’s most used browser, or Android, the leading mobile operating system. However, on 2 September, District Judge Amit Mehta rejected the government’s request to break up the company. Instead, the ruling bars Google from signing exclusive contracts to dominate search and requires it to share limited search data with rivals.
The outcome is a setback but not a dismantling. Google now faces restrictions including a ban on exclusive deals and an obligation to share some data with competitors. It also remains under investigation in another antitrust case related to digital advertising. Despite these measures, Google welcomed the ruling since it retains control of both Chrome and Android and has said it plans to appeal.
For Indian users, there will be no immediate changes. Chrome and Android will continue to function as usual, powering most browsers and smartphones in the country. However, the decision could have indirect effects in the future. More competition could emerge in the search market if global players like DuckDuckGo or AI-based platforms gain better access to data. It may also add weight to calls for stronger enforcement by the Competition Commission of India, which has already fined Google for anti-competitive practices. For now, Android’s dominance in India, with over 95 per cent market share, remains unaffected.
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