Judge Orders Major Overhaul of Google’s Search Engine

A landmark decision by a federal judge mandates a major transformation of Google's search engine as part of efforts to diminish its monopolistic hold. This move, announced on Tuesday, halts short of the US government's attempt to dismantle the tech giant.

US District Judge Amit Mehta's ruling in Washington, DC, detailed in a 226-page document, comes amid an era of rapid technological changes, including advances in artificial intelligence. Emerging competitors like ChatGPT and Perplexity are challenging Google's longstanding dominance in search.

In this ruling, new restrictions will limit Google's ability to drive traffic to its services but allow the continuation of lucrative contracts that secure its search engine as the default on various devices. Despite rejecting calls for Google to sell its Chrome browser, Mehta's decision includes measures to level the playing field by granting competitors access to valuable search data.

(With inputs from agencies.)