Alphabet Inc.’s Google has filed an appeal against a US federal court decision that found the company illegally monopolized online search and search advertising. The filing also asks the court to pause key parts of the remedy order while the appeal moves forward. The move sets up a lengthy legal process that could delay changes to Google’s search business.
The case began in 2020 when the US Department of Justice and state attorneys general accused Google of using exclusionary deals to protect its dominance. After a trial in late 2023, US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in August 2024 that Google maintained an unlawful monopoly in the search market through distribution agreements that locked in default status on major devices.
Google’s notice of appeal was filed in federal court in Washington, DC, along with a request to halt enforcement of certain remedies during the appeal. The company argued that some requirements could cause irreversible harm if they took effect before appellate review. Google focused its request on provisions that would require it to share sensitive information with rivals.
In court papers, Google said data-sharing obligations could expose trade secrets and proprietary systems. The company argued that it cannot ‘unshare’ data if the appeals court later reverses the decision. Google also said it will comply with other parts of the remedy package while the appeal proceeds, including restrictions tied to contract duration and safeguards around user data.
Judge Mehta declined a Justice Department request that would have forced Google to sell the Chrome browser. Instead, the court crafted remedies aimed at Google’s distribution leverage, which the judge linked to the company’s scale advantages in search and search advertising. The order addressed the agreements that place Google as the default search engine on devices and browsers.
The ruling allows Google to keep paying to secure default placement, but it limits how those contracts work. The court required Google to rebid default search and related app agreements on a regular schedule, which could give competitors more chances to win distribution slots. The order also included measures designed to expand access to certain search-related data for qualified competitors, an area Google is now trying to pause during the appeal.
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit will hear Google’s appeal, a process that often takes months before oral arguments and longer before a final decision. Google’s request to pause parts of the remedy order will be decided separately and could determine whether rivals gain access to certain data before the appeal ends. The timeline means the legal fight may extend well into 2026 and beyond.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department and the coalition of states still have decisions to make about their own appellate options. The government had sought stronger structural remedies, including a Chrome divestiture and tighter limits on default payments.
The next filings will shape whether the case focuses on fine-tuning conduct remedies or reopens the debate over more sweeping changes to Google’s search business model.
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