U.S. Court Orders Google To Open Search Data To Competitors
A U.S. federal court has ruled that Google must provide competitors with access to its search data, in a move aimed at curbing the company’s dominance in online search.
The decision, delivered Tuesday by Judge Amit Mehta, comes after his 2024 finding that Google had unlawfully maintained monopolies through multibillion-dollar deals with Apple, Samsung, and other device manufacturers.
Those deals ensured Google remained the default search engine on millions of devices, shielding the company from rivals.
Prosecutors had pushed for a breakup of Google’s Chrome browser, arguing that it is a key entry point for internet activity and accounts for a third of Google searches. The court, however, rejected this, describing such a move as “messy and highly risky.”
Instead, Judge Mehta ordered remedies to restore competition without dismantling the company. Google must now grant qualified competitors access to its search index data and user interaction information to improve their own services.
The ruling also bars Google from using exclusive contracts to cement dominance in emerging generative AI tools, aiming to prevent a repeat of its search monopoly in the fast-growing AI sector.
“These are significant remedies,” the U.S. Justice Department said, noting it would continue reviewing the opinion to determine further steps.
Google welcomed the ruling, highlighting that competition in search has intensified with AI-driven platforms. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, said, “This underlines what we’ve been saying since this case was filed in 2020: competition is intense and people can easily choose the services they want.”
Mulholland, however, cautioned that mandated data sharing could raise privacy concerns. Investors viewed the ruling as a win for Google, sending Alphabet shares up 7.5 percent in after-hours trading.
Apple also benefited, with its stock rising over 3 percent, as analysts noted that the decision preserves the company’s lucrative search deals with Google. The ruling is expected to reshape the balance of power in digital search and the growing AI market.
Google continues to face separate antitrust scrutiny over its advertising business, while other tech giants, including Apple, Amazon, and Meta, remain under investigation.
Reuters
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
