A judge ruled that Google’s default search and AI contracts must be renewed every year
2025-12-06 15:25
A federal Judge, Amit Mehta, has dealt a significant blow to Google’s long-standing dominance in search distribution, ordering that any contract naming Google’s search engine or AI app as the default on smartphones and other devices must now be renegotiated every year. Under the new ruling, any agreement that designates Google Search , or its AI-powered services, as the default choice on smartphones, tablets, or browsers can no longer be locked in for a period of multiple years. Instead, such deals must be renewed annually, allowing device makers and other platform operators to reconsider and potentially choose rivals. Based in Washington, Judge Mehta had earlier consulted the US Justice Department on this ruling before implementing the decision. After careful consideration, the department agreed to conduct this annual review. Notably, this is a primary change that the search giant is required to embrace among other suggested changes. The judge arrived at...
