Google just lost its ability to lock in long-term default search deals but don’t expect its dominance to crumble anytime soon.
A new U.S. court ruling forces Google to limit all default Search and AI app placement agreements to one year.
That includes major deals with Apple and Samsung that have historically kept Google Search as the starting point for billions of users.
Here’s what the judge ordered:
• No more exclusive, long-term contracts for Google Search, Chrome, Assistant or Gemini
• No revenue-share deals that require Google apps to be default for more than a year
• No agreements that block partners from also working with other search or GenAI providers
In short, Google must re-earn default placement every year.
Why marketers should care. If device defaults become more fluid, user entry points to the internet could shift:
• More fragmentation in where searches begin
• AI-first competitors could gain share
• Attribution and channel budgeting may need to adjust faster