Google has filed an appeal against the US Department of Justice’s antitrust ruling that found the company maintained an illegal monopoly in web search. Alongside the appeal, Google is asking the court to pause the implementation of remedies, including requirements to share search data with competitors.

The original ruling, delivered in August 2024 after a 10-week trial in 2023, concluded that Google cemented its dominance through default search engine placements across platforms and tight control over search advertising. These practices were central to the DOJ’s 2020 lawsuit.

Google argues the decision ignores market realities, saying users choose its search engine because of quality, not coercion. The company also pointed to testimony from Apple and Mozilla, which said they feature Google by choice. According to Google, the imposed remedies pose privacy risks and could discourage competitors from developing their own products.

While the DOJ initially sought more aggressive actions, such as forcing Google to sell Chrome, the court opted for lighter measures like data sharing and syndication requirements. Google is now seeking to delay those changes while the appeal is reviewed, setting up another major legal battle that could shape the future of online search competition.