Feng Huang Wang·2025-09-03 00:54Core Viewpoint - The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust ruling against Google has clarified the winners and losers in the case, allowing Google to continue paying for default search engine status while prohibiting exclusive contracts with partners like Apple [1][2]. Group 1: Winners - Google benefits significantly from the ruling as it does not have to divest its Chrome browser, which is crucial for directing users to its search engine [1][2]. - Apple stands to gain as it can continue receiving approximately $20 billion from Google for being the default search engine on iPhones, which constitutes about 20% of Apple's annual services revenue [3]. - AI competitors such as OpenAI and Perplexity may benefit from the ruling, as Apple can now promote their services without violating agreements with Google, and they may gain access to shared search data from Google [5]. Group 2: Losers - Competitors to Google's Chrome browser, such as Microsoft's Edge and Apple's Safari, are at a disadvantage since the ruling allows Google to maintain its significant distribution channel with over 3 billion active users [6]. - The inability to force Google to divest Chrome means that the competitive landscape for browsers remains unchanged, making it difficult for rivals to gain market share [6].