Federal judge directs Google to share search results in major antitrust decision but not sell Chrome

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Google to turn over its search results and data to some rival companies to help limit Google's monopoly on searches.

The ruling is part of a major antitrust case brought by the federal government. The Justice Department had asked the judge to order the Silicon Valley giant to share even more of its data, but U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled the company did not need to break itself up.

Mehta also placed restrictions on Google's payments that ensure its search engine gets the best placement on smartphone web browsers, but said Google did not need to completely stop the payments or sell its Chrome web browser.

“Notwithstanding this power, courts must approach the task of crafting remedies with a healthy dose of humility,” Mehta wrote in his decision. “This court has done so.”

Google said it plans to appeal the ruling, according to the New York Times.

The ruling is the latest in a string of antitrust cases against Google. A federal judge in Virginia earlier this year ruled that the company's digital ad network was an illegal monopoly and a judge last year ruled that Google had been taking illegal action to stifle competition.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.