Google has asked a U.S. judge to delay enforcing an order that would require it to share data with rivals while it appeals a landmark ruling that found the company holds an illegal monopoly in online search, according to court filings made public on Friday.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in 2024 that Google used unlawful tactics to maintain its dominance in the search market. Google said it plans to ask a federal appeals court to overturn that decision and argued that parts of Mehta’s remedy go too far, particularly the requirement to share search data with competitors, including generative AI firms such as OpenAI.
Google warned that complying with the data-sharing mandate during the appeal could expose sensitive trade secrets, with no way to undo the damage if the ruling is later reversed. The company is asking Mehta to pause that specific requirement while the appeal is pending.
The company said it is not seeking to delay other aspects of the ruling, including limits on contracts that allow Google to preload its apps—such as its Gemini AI chatbot—on devices for more than one year. “Although Google believes that these remedies are unwarranted and should never have been imposed, it is prepared to do everything short of turning over its data or providing syndicated results and ads while its appeal is pending,” the filing said.
Despite years of litigation and findings that Google holds multiple illegal monopolies, the company has so far avoided the most severe penalties sought by regulators. The U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of U.S. states that brought the case have until February 3 to decide whether to appeal Mehta’s rejection of tougher remedies.
Antitrust enforcers had pushed for far-reaching measures, including forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser and end multibillion-dollar payments to Apple and other partners that set Google as the default search engine on new devices. The outcome of the appeal could shape the future of competition in search and determine how far U.S. courts are willing to go in reining in Big Tech dominance.
