Google Breathes Sigh of Relief as Judge Rules Against Divestiture

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, saw its shares surge after a federal judge delivered a verdict that allows the tech behemoth to keep its business empire intact. The court decisively ruled against the U.S. government’s call for a forced sale of the Chrome browser, the most feared outcome in a landmark antitrust lawsuit.
The ruling by Judge Amit Mehta was a clear rejection of the Department of Justice’s argument that a structural breakup was the only effective way to remedy Google’s illegal monopolization of the search market. Instead, the judge pointed to the evolving tech landscape, particularly the rise of AI, as a natural check on Google’s long-term dominance.
While celebrating the preservation of its corporate structure, Google now has to navigate a new set of court-ordered rules. The company is barred from entering into exclusive distribution deals and must share some search data with its competitors. Google expressed concerns about these mandates, particularly regarding user privacy, and is reviewing the decision closely.
For Google, the verdict is a monumental victory that averts a catastrophic business disruption. It allows the company to continue leveraging the powerful synergy between its search engine, the Chrome browser, and the Android operating system, a strategy that the government had sought to dismantle.