A U.S. court has ruled that Google can continue its $20 billion search deal with Apple, even as the company faces penalties for its monopoly in online search.
The decision, announced on September 2, 2025, is part of the Department of Justice’s major antitrust case against Google.
Judge Amit Mehta said Google can remain the default search engine on Apple’s Safari browser, but the agreement must now be non-exclusive and limited to one-year terms. This means Apple could also work with other search engines in the future, but Google will still be the main choice for millions of iPhone users.
The court rejected stronger actions requested by the DOJ, such as forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser or spin off the Android operating system. Instead, the judge focused on limiting Google’s ability to block rivals by banning exclusive contracts with device makers, carriers, and browser developers. The ruling also requires Google to share some of its search index and user-interaction data with competitors to make the market fairer.
Another factor in the decision was the rise of AI-powered search tools like OpenAI’s chatbot, which the judge said is already changing competition in the search market. Because of this, the court decided not to apply harsher remedies.
The ruling is seen as a win for Google and Apple. Alphabet’s stock rose more than 7 percent after the news, while Apple shares also gained.
However, critics including DuckDuckGo and some U.S. lawmakers said the decision was too soft and would not stop Google from keeping its monopoly power. Google has already announced it will appeal parts of the ruling, and the company is preparing for another antitrust trial later this month over its dominance in digital advertising.
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