Google’s Legal Challenges in the U.S.: A Look Ahead (September 2, 2025)
In a significant ruling from a Washington court, Google is now mandated to share data with competitors to foster fair competition within the realm of online search. This decision, which was delivered on Tuesday, also dismissed prosecutors’ requests for the tech behemoth to divest its widely-used Chrome browser.
During the April trial, CEO Sundar Pichai expressed apprehensions regarding the implications of such data-sharing policies, emphasizing the risk of enabling rivals to reverse-engineer Google’s advanced technologies. The company has already indicated its intention to file an appeal, suggesting that it could take several years before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling is enforced.
Additionally, Judge Mehta has prohibited Google from entering into exclusive contracts that would prevent manufacturers from preinstalling competing products on new devices. Google contends that easing its agreements with device and browser developers, as well as mobile carriers, is a necessary step to resolve the issues at hand. Recent agreements with industry giants like Samsung and Motorola, along with mobile operators such as AT&T and Verizon, permit the inclusion of rival search options, according to court documents.
This ruling caps off a five-year legal struggle between the tech titan and its home nation, with Mehta previously determining that Google maintains an unlawful monopoly in online search and advertising. During April’s proceedings, prosecutors advocated for broad reforms to reinstate competition and prevent Google from extending its market dominance into artificial intelligence.
Google has pushed back against these proposed measures, arguing they exceed legal boundaries and would jeopardize its proprietary technologies. Besides the search-related case, the company is also entangled in ongoing litigation concerning its control over other markets.
Moreover, Google is actively contesting a ruling demanding changes to its app store, a decision won by Epic Games, the creators of “Fortnite.” In September, the company is slated to go to trial regarding remedies in a separate case initiated by the Justice Department, which also found illegal monopolistic practices in online advertising technology.
These legal challenges against Google are part of a broader bipartisan initiative by U.S. regulators targeting the dominance of Big Tech firms, a campaign that gained momentum during former President Trump’s administration and encompasses other major players like Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Apple.
On the financial front, Alphabet’s shares closed down 0.7% for the day but rebounded by 6% in after-hours trading as of 4:30 PM New York time (20:30 GMT).