Judge Rules Google May Keep Control of Chrome Even with Antitrust Breaches
was aimed at dismantling Google, akin to the breakup of AT&T into multiple units during the 1980s. The DOJ’s efforts in this area were broadly regarded as excessively aggressive and ambitious, so it’s not surprising that Mehta was unconvinced by the DOJ’s argument. Mehta specifically stated that compelling Google to divest Chrome was illogical as it would be “incredibly messy and highly risky.”
Additionally, Mehta determined that Google’s arrangement with Apple, where Chrome serves as the default search engine on mobile Safari, may proceed. This is certainly positive news for Apple since its agreement with Google generates the company $20 billion annually in straightforward revenue. One limitation for the agreement moving forward is that Google cannot establish a multi-year contract to designate Google as the default search engine on the iPhone. Thus, while the collaboration between Apple and Google may persist, any contract’s length is restricted to just one year. Following that, the bidding process for becoming the default search engine on the iPhone will restart.
Moreover, Mehta indicates that Google will be required to provide a portion of search engine data to competitors, which will facilitate their ability to index the web and present relevant search outcomes. The goal is to slightly equalize the competitive landscape and offer search engines like Bing and DuckDuckGo a greater opportunity to contend against Google, which holds around 90% of the search engine marketplace.
