Google antitrust ruling: Chrome, Android, Search and India impact explained

In terms of tech history, September 2025’s biggest flashpoint may not be the iPhone 17 launch or a new viral AI demo, but a legal ruling that strikes at the heart of Google’s empire. The worst didn’t come to pass for Google, it wasn’t instructed to sell-off Chrome from its core Search business, but a US court still clipped Google’s wings in a way that could redraw the map of online competition. 

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According to a US court, Google has been told to stop its exclusive search distribution deals, share slices of its invaluable data with rivals, and loosen the iron grip it has long enjoyed over how billions of people discover content and search for information on the online web.

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The ripple effects of this singular decision stretches from Mountain View to Mumbai, touching Google Search, Chrome, Android, and India’s fast-growing internet economy. 

Google Search: No more exclusive browser deals, share user data

For over two decades, “Googling” has been at the heart of online search. That dominance has been underpinned not just by product quality but by Google’s aggressive distribution deals – paying the likes of Apple, Samsung, and others tens of billions of dollars every year to ensure Google Search was the default everywhere people tried to look up for information.

Also read: Google dodges Chrome breakup in antitrust case, but judge demands these changes

This current US court ruling strikes at this very idea. Google can no longer lock down exclusive placements as the default search engine or AI assistant. More importantly, it must now share segments of its search data with competitors, a seismic shift in an industry where data is oxygen. Microsoft’s Bing, OpenAI, and Perplexity stand to gain access to query streams that could sharpen their AI-driven answers.

Will users notice tomorrow? Probably not. But the competitive door is open. For the first time, rivals can build search products with some of the same training fuel that has long been Google’s monopoly.

Chrome: Device makers can bundle other browsers

The US court antitrust ruling just stopped short of forcing Google to sell-off Chrome, the browser that has become the default gateway to the internet for over 60% of users around the world. Nor did it prohibit Google from compensating device makers for default placement. On the surface, Chrome stays in place, and users won’t see their favourite browser vanish from their dock.

Also read: Edge, Neon, Comet, Arc: Top AI-powered browsers you must try

But this also allows for increased freedom of choice. Device makers and carriers can preload or promote alternative browsers without being boxed into Google’s ecosystem deals, the US court has ruled. Firefox, Brave, or even AI-native browsers like Arc or Comet by Perplexity could suddenly find themselves part of new partnerships. Over time, that means a more visible marketplace of browser choices – something most users haven’t had to think about in years.

Android: No more exclusivity deals with OEMs

Android has always been Google’s ace card – an operating system that ensures its services are pre-installed in the hands of billions of users worldwide and here in India. The ruling didn’t strip that advantage, but it diluted it. By banning exclusivity, OEMs can now explore deeper ties with competitors. Imagine an Oppo or Vivo phone in India that boots with Bing Chat or Perplexity as the primary search experience, or a European Samsung model that highlights DuckDuckGo from day one.

Google can still pay for prime placement, but it must now operate in a market where rivals have permission to compete for that same real estate. It won’t dismantle Android’s reach, but it will alter the economics of its partnerships.

India: Google will face increased competition

The US court ruling’s echoes will be heard loudly in India, one of Google’s most strategic growth markets. With over 750 million internet users – and many more still offline – India is both a battleground for search and a laboratory for generative AI-powered discovery.

Google’s dominance here has felt near-total: Chrome as the browser of choice, Android running on 95% of smartphones, and Google Search the first stop for everything from cricket scores to government services. But the antitrust decision could empower domestic device makers and startups to negotiate harder.

Also read: Google’s antitrust cases in India: A brief history

Just as Tata Communications’ undersea cables silently carry a quarter of global internet traffic into Mumbai, India could become the frontline for how new search and AI entrants scale. If Bing or Perplexity can offer differentiated experiences – local language fluency, AI-native browsing, better integration with WhatsApp and regional apps – they might finally chip away at Google’s omnipresence.

And in a market where pricing and partnerships matter as much as product, the loosening of exclusivity could let Indian telcos and OEMs experiment with alternatives, bringing consumers more visible choice.

Google’s future just became more competitive

For Google, the immediate future despite this US antitrust ruling remains steady – search revenues keep flowing, Chrome still dominates, and Android devices continue to ship by the tens of millions. But the longer-term story will definitely face increased disruption.

Also read: Why Google AI Overviews are facing EU antitrust heat from publishers

The mandated data-sharing is the biggest wildcard. It could accelerate innovation in AI-driven search, where conversational answers replace the ten blue links of old. Microsoft Bing, already boosted by its OpenAI partnership, will now have richer datasets to train on. Perplexity, with its hybrid of chatbot and search engine, can mature faster. And OpenAI itself could turn ChatGPT into a more competitive discovery tool, integrated directly into browsers or assistants.

Consumers may not jump ship tomorrow, but the antitrust ruling against Google guarantees users will have more credible alternatives much faster. In an era where browsing habits are being rewritten by generative AI, that could matter more than Google’s lawyers fear. The world’s default search box isn’t disappearing just yet, but for the first time in decades, it isn’t guaranteed to belong to Google either. And just writing that feels surreal.

Also read: Why India should take note of US ruling against Google’s anti-competitive practices

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Jayesh Shinde

Executive Editor at Digit. Technology journalist since Jan 2008, with stints at Indiatimes.com and PCWorld.in. Enthusiastic dad, reluctant traveler, weekend gamer, LOTR nerd, pseudo bon vivant. View Full Profile