U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta’s latest decision in the antitrust litigation involving Google signifies a crucial shift, particularly regarding the changing influence of “general artificial intelligence” in the digital search arena. On September 2, Judge Mehta ruled that Google was not obligated to relinquish its Chrome or Android assets, a decision the Department of Justice (DOJ) had previously contemplated to boost competition in the online search realm. Rather, Google is now mandated to share its search data with rivals and is barred from entering exclusive agreements for its Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and Gemini offerings.
The ongoing case initially saw the DOJ advocating for Google to divest Chrome and Android to provide other search engines a fair opportunity to attract users. Nonetheless, Judge Mehta indicated that the plaintiffs had exceeded their bounds by requesting forced divestiture, as Google had not utilized these assets to enforce unlawful restrictions.
The legal context of this case has been altered with the advent of general artificial intelligence, impacting the landscape of online search. This evolution has led to a reassessment of tactics to tackle Google’s dominance in the market.
The proceedings of this case commenced in August 2024, when the DOJ explored multiple avenues to address the antitrust concerns, including compelling Google to divest Chrome and Android or increasing data sharing with competitors. By March 2025, the DOJ persisted in advocating for the divestiture of Chrome, convinced it would allow other search engines to broaden their user demographics.
While stepping back from its demands for the sale of Google’s AI assets, the DOJ continues to concentrate on enforcing stricter regulatory measures. Judge Mehta’s judgment represents a middle ground, prioritizing data sharing over asset divestment, as the role of AI in search continues to advance.
