Judge Rules Google Maintained an Illegal Search Monopoly

A federal judge ruled that Google illegally maintained a monopoly over online search by paying billions to companies like Apple to remain the default search engine, a decision with the power to reshape how Big Tech operates.

While Google plans to appeal, Judge Amit Mehta's ruling marks a significant victory for the Justice Department and sets a major precedent for ongoing antitrust cases against other tech giants.

In year two of the search monopoly case, nobody walked away whole. Judge Amit Mehta declared Google a monopolist in August 2024, then let it keep Chrome in September 2025 while barring exclusive default deals worth more than $20 billion a year and ordering annual rebidding plus limited search data sharing NPR. Google appealed in May to reverse the entire judgment, arguing it prevailed fair and square, while the Justice Department cross appealed seeking the Chrome divestiture Mehta refused Search Engine Land. DuckDuckGo's founder says consumers keep suffering under the softer remedies; the D.C. Circuit takes both appeals before 2026 ends.