Shulou(Shulou.com)09/03 Report--

A US federal judge has ruled that Google can keep its Chrome browser, but it will be prohibited from signing exclusive contracts and must share search data.

On Tuesday, US District Judge Amit Mehta rejected the harshest penalties sought by the government against Google, allowing it to retain the Chrome browser but barring it from entering into exclusive search agreements designed to entrench its monopoly position. The ruling stated: "The plaintiffs have gone too far in seeking to force the divestiture of these key assets. Google has not used these assets to impose any illegal restrictions." This ruling was interpreted by the market as a major victory for Google. The stock price of its parent company, Alphabet, soared more than 8% in after-hours trading. Meanwhile, the stock price of Google's key partner, Apple, also rose 3% in response. The multibillion-dollar-a-year search default setting agreement between the two companies has been largely preserved. Although Google has avoided the "death penalty" of business divestiture, it has not emerged unscathed. The judge has prohibited it from entering into exclusive contracts and required it to share search data. Google has said it will appeal the ruling, which indicates that the final implementation of any penalties may be postponed. The Payment Model Continues, but Exclusivity Is Gone The ruling has preserved the space for the lucrative partnership between Google and companies like Apple, but has changed the rules of the game. During the litigation, the US Department of Justice asked Google to stop the so-called "compelled syndication" behavior, that is, to ensure that its search engine becomes the default option for browsers and smartphones by reaching agreements with device manufacturers. Among them, the agreement in which Google pays Apple billions of dollars each year to be the default search engine on iPhones is the most crucial. This is an important source of revenue for Apple and a valuable channel for Google to obtain massive search traffic and users. Judge Amit Mehta explained in the ruling why such payments are not completely prohibited. He pointed out that, "Cutting off Google's payments would almost certainly cause significant, and in some cases even devastating, harm to distribution partners, the relevant market, and consumers." Therefore, the court allows the payment behavior to continue, provided that there are no exclusive clauses attached, which theoretically makes it possible for competitors to enter these devices. This landmark case began in 2020. At that time, the US Department of Justice accused Google of illegally maintaining its dominant position in the general search market by setting up strong barriers to entry and a self-reinforcing feedback loop. In August 2024, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Google had violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, finding that the company had maintained an illegal monopoly in its core internet search market. Subsequently, a trial presided over by Judge Mehta took place in May this year, with both the prosecution and the defense debating what punitive measures should be taken. During this period, the US Department of Justice not only called for the divestiture of Chrome but also asked the judge to force Google to share the data it uses to generate search results, such as user click behavior data. Tuesday's ruling means that although Google has retained Chrome, it still needs to make concessions in terms of data sharing and business contracts. Google's planned appeal will add more uncertainty to the final outcome of this long-running antitrust battle.

Welcome to subscribe "Shulou Technology Information " to get latest news, interesting things and hot topics in the IT industry, and controls the hottest and latest Internet news, technology news and IT industry trends.