The short version

Judge Amit P. Mehta just put a hard stop on Google’s habit of locking in long default placements. In a December 5, 2025 memorandum opinion accompanying the court’s Final Judgment, Mehta ruled that any agreement that sets Google Search—or a Google GenAI app like Gemini/Assistant—as the default must end after one year or include a cost‑free annual termination right. The order also bans exclusivity across Search, Chrome, Assistant, and GenAI, and extends the remedies to generative AI distribution. Most provisions take effect 60 days after entry (early February 2026) and run for six years. Court opinion (Dec. 5, 2025); remedies opinion (Sept. 2, 2025); DOJ summary, Sept. 2025.

An editorial illustration of a smartphone home screen showing a neutral search bar and a generic AI assistant icon under a one-year countdown badge, with a judge’s gavel and calendar in the background

What Judge Mehta ordered on December 5, 2025

  • One‑year cap (or annual, penalty‑free exit) on default contracts:
    • For browsers and Apple: Any agreement that conditions default status for Google Search or a Google GenAI product must expire after one year—and must allow the partner to promote third‑party search or GenAI rivals. This explicitly names Apple’s Safari, Siri, and Spotlight. Opinion, Dec. 5, 2025.
    • For Android OEMs and carriers: Google may not require preloads/placements for more than one year unless partners can terminate annually without fees. Opinion, Dec. 5, 2025.
  • No exclusivity and no cross‑product conditioning: Google cannot make payment for one placement contingent on others (e.g., Search for Chrome, Assistant for Search) and cannot enter exclusive distribution contracts for Search, Chrome, Assistant, or GenAI apps. Opinion, Dec. 5, 2025.
  • Remedies reach GenAI: The court treats GenAI assistants and AI apps as part of the competitive space for “general search,” to prevent Google’s search dominance from carrying over into AI distribution. Remedies opinion, Sept. 2, 2025.
  • Data access for rivals (search index + user‑side signals): Google must share a one‑time snapshot of defined web‑search index signals and certain anonymized user‑interaction datasets with “Qualified Competitors” on ordinary commercial terms; ads‑side data and the Knowledge Graph are excluded. Remedies opinion, Sept. 2, 2025; coverage.
  • Oversight and duration: A Technical Committee will help implement and monitor compliance; the decree lasts six years and generally becomes effective 60 days after entry. Remedies opinion, Sept. 2, 2025.

What the order does not do

  • No breakup or choice screens: The judge rejected divestiture (e.g., Chrome) and declined to mandate choice screens, citing limited effectiveness and product‑design concerns. Remedies opinion, Sept. 2, 2025; Washington Post overview.
  • No total payment ban: Google can still pay partners for distribution—just not on exclusive terms, and now within a one‑year cadence. DOJ press summary; CNBC.

Why this matters for AI, automation, and default economics

Default status remains the most valuable gateway to user intent—whether that’s a typed query or a voice prompt to an assistant. By forcing annual renegotiations, Mehta’s order effectively turns the world’s most coveted home screens and entry points into scheduled, recurring auctions. That shift:

  • Creates predictable “default seasons” when device makers can solicit bids from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI partners, Perplexity, Brave/DuckDuckGo, and others. NPR remedies coverage.
  • Reduces lock‑in: OEMs and carriers can switch without break‑fees; Apple and browser makers can negotiate per mode (e.g., standard vs. private) and promote third‑party AI/search alongside Google. Dec. 5 opinion excerpts.
  • Aligns incentives for newcomers: The one‑time search‑index snapshot and user‑side signal sharing lowers time‑to‑quality for alternative search/AI experiences—especially those building retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG). Remedies opinion on index/user data.

How the one‑year cap could reshape distribution

What changes—and for whom

Who’s coveredWhat changesPractical effect
Apple (Safari, Siri, Spotlight)Any default condition must expire after one year; Apple may promote third‑party search/GenAIAnnual rebids on iOS default points; more leverage for Apple to mix‑and‑match or rotate defaults
Browser developers (e.g., Mozilla)One‑year term for any default setting; freedom to promote rivalsPredictable yearly auctions across OS modes (standard/private)
Android OEMs & carriersPreload/placement terms capped at one year or must include cost‑free annual terminationEasier partner switching; less risk of multi‑year lock‑in
Google GenAI apps (Gemini/Assistant)Same one‑year rule and no exclusivity/cross‑product conditioningAI assistants compete annually for on‑device default status

Sources: Dec. 5 opinion; Sept. 2 remedies opinion.

Winners, contenders, and open questions

  • Potential winners:
    • Device makers and carriers, who gain annual leverage and flexibility without termination fees. Dec. 5 opinion.
    • AI‑first challengers (OpenAI’s ecosystem, Perplexity, Microsoft/Copilot, Brave/DuckDuckGo) that can now bid for prominent defaults more often, aided by limited data sharing. NPR; CNBC.
  • Still strong: Google keeps the ability to pay for placement and avoids structural breakup, but faces higher re‑bid frequency and a ban on exclusivity/bundling. Washington Post.
  • Open questions:

What to do now (operators’ checklist)

Key dates and how long this lasts

  • Final Judgment entered: December 5, 2025. Docket 1461.
  • Effective date: 60 days after entry (early February 2026) for most provisions; the Technical Committee work starts immediately. Sept. 2, 2025 opinion.
  • Duration: six years from entry (through roughly December 2031), unless modified by the court. Sept. 2, 2025 opinion.

Sources