Markets greeted the ruling as moderate relief; Google avoided divestiture of Chrome and Android, prompting an immediate stock rally
The order bans exclusive tying of search, Chrome, Assistant or Gemini to other apps and mandates sharing certain search interaction data
Non-exclusive preload deals remain permitted, so Google can still pay device makers to preinstall its browser and search
Judge Mehta noted generative AI has altered competition; many AI interfaces reorganise search results and may still rely on Google as a backend
The order is narrower than the EU’s DMA and the DoJ’s original demands; ad data, source code and core algorithms remain protected
If finalised, the judgment could shape global antitrust remedies by easing entry barriers without forcing structural breaks in big tech