Google Loses Bid to Halt Search Data Sharing Appeal

US District Judge Amit Mehta has denied Alphabet Inc.'s request to temporarily halt an order requiring the company to share its underlying search data with rivals. The order is part of the ongoing appeal of a ruling that found Google illegally monopolized the online search market.

In his Thursday ruling, Judge Mehta stated that Google faces no immediate risk of harm because the data-sharing provisions are still months away from implementation. He noted that the Justice Department and state attorneys general, who brought the lawsuit, must provide 45 days' notice before any data sharing begins, allowing Google to renew its request to pause the order.

The original ruling in August 2024 determined that Google's contracts with major smartphone makers, which ensured its search engine was the default option, illegally blocked competitors. These deals, costing Google over $20 billion annually, were found to restrict rivals' access to crucial distribution channels.

Following a second trial in 2025, the judge rejected the idea of forcing the sale of Google's Chrome browser. However, he mandated that Google must rebid its default search engine and AI app contracts annually. He also mandated a one-time data-sharing of search data to assist competitors in building their own search engines or AI products.

The implementation of the ruling is a complex process. A technical committee is being formed to oversee the data sharing, with two positions still vacant. Plaintiffs estimate that data sharing could commence in the fall or winter of 2026. The parties are expected to file their appeal briefs by the end of October 2026, with no hearing date yet scheduled.