Keeping Android and Google Chrome with Google: a cautious U.S. approach to avoid weakening digital security

On September 2, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling allowing Google not to sell its Chrome browser and Android operating system.

The decision was a victory for Google, as the company avoided the harshest consequences in the antitrust violation case: Google can continue paying partners, like Apple, for distributing its services, which preserves the lucrative agreement making Google the default search engine in Safari.

The U.S. court’s ruling demonstrates that the United States has chosen a strategically moderate approach to antitrust restrictions against Google, as Washington realizes that overly strict intervention would create favorable conditions for Beijing, which seeks to exploit any weakening of American technology corporations.