The Google antitrust verdict may have ended the fight over a corporate breakup, but it has opened a new and complex battleground: the fight for access to Google’s data. The court’s mandate that Google must share search data with competitors is a landmark remedy that will now be subject to intense negotiation and likely further legal disputes.
The ruling did not specify the exact nature of the data to be shared, how it must be anonymized to protect privacy, or the terms of access. These crucial details will need to be worked out between Google, the Department of Justice, and potentially competitors, under the supervision of the court. A deadline of September 10, 2025, has been set for a new proposal.
This creates a high-stakes scenario. Competitors will push for broad access to the richest possible data, which they need to train their AI models and improve search algorithms. Google, citing privacy and trade secrets, will likely argue for a much more limited and controlled sharing mechanism.
The outcome of this data-sharing negotiation could be more impactful than any other part of the ruling. If implemented robustly, it could genuinely empower a new generation of competitors. If it is watered down, it could become a token gesture that does little to alter Google’s dominance, making this the next critical phase of the antitrust saga.