The United States government and a majority of state governments have filed an appeal over remedies ordered in an antitrust case involving Google’s search business.
Court filings show the appeal follows a 2024 ruling by a federal judge in Washington who found that Google holds a monopoly in online search but declined to impose structural remedies sought by regulators.
The appeal does not set out detailed arguments but is expected to focus on the refusal to order measures such as divesting the Chrome browser or ending Google’s agreement with Apple to make its search engine the default on new devices.
Google has also appealed the ruling, challenging the finding that it breached competition law to protect its position in search and search-related advertising. The company has asked the court to pause an order requiring it to share certain data with competitors while the appeal is considered, a process that may take several months.
The judge previously rejected proposals to force the sale of Chrome or the Android operating system, and declined to ban payments worth tens of billions of dollars made to secure default search placement. He also cited changes in the market since the case was filed, including the emergence of generative artificial intelligence firms as competitors.
The decision limited the scope of intervention available to US antitrust authorities in technology markets undergoing rapid change.
