Wed Sep 03 00:44:04 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and rewritten news article:

**Summary:**

A U.S. federal judge ruled on September 2, 2025, to curb Google’s search engine monopoly but stopped short of ordering a breakup. The ruling forces Google to share search data with rivals and restricts exclusive contract deals, but allows existing default search agreements to continue. While the Justice Department called it a win, Google claimed vindication. The decision’s impact is debated, with Google’s stock rising, suggesting investors see it as a minor setback. The ruling is influenced by the rise of AI, leading the judge to seek remedies that foster competition in the evolving landscape.

**News Article:**

**Google Search Monopoly Reined In, But Not Broken Up, in Landmark US Ruling**

*San Francisco, September 3, 2025* – A federal judge in Washington D.C. has issued a significant ruling aimed at curbing Google’s dominance in the search engine market, but stopped short of ordering the company’s breakup. Judge Amit Mehta ordered Google to share valuable search data with competitors and restricts the company from establishing exclusive deals for its search engine, Gemini AI app, Play Store, and virtual assistant on smartphones and other devices.

The ruling stems from an antitrust case filed by the U.S. Justice Department during the Trump administration and continued under President Biden. The Justice Department argued that Google was illegally monopolizing the search market. The ruling comes amid the rapid development of AI, which Judge Mehta noted has significantly altered the competitive landscape.

Despite finding Google guilty of maintaining an illegal monopoly, Judge Mehta did *not* ban Google’s existing multi-billion dollar agreements that make it the default search engine on many devices. He deemed such a ban would cause more harm than good. The judge also declined to force Google to sell its Chrome browser.

“This is a major win for the American people,” said Justice Department antitrust chief Gail Slater, though she indicated the agency is considering whether the ordered relief goes far enough.

Google, in turn, has portrayed the ruling as a vindication. “Competition is intense and people can easily choose the services they want,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice-president of regulatory affairs. The company also intends to appeal the monopoly finding.

The decision has sparked mixed reactions. While some see it as a needed step to promote competition, others believe it doesn’t go far enough. The stock price of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., rose nearly 3% following the ruling, suggesting investors believe the impact on Google will be limited.

The ruling is expected to have widespread implications for the tech industry, particularly for companies like Apple that benefit from Google’s default search engine deals, and for smaller search engines looking to compete with Google’s vast resources.

The case is expected to continue as Google appeals the monopoly finding and the Justice Department considers its options.

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