SEATTLE, WA – A federal judge has issued an order restricting Google’s ability to maintain exclusive search contracts and requiring the company to share certain data with competitors. The ruling follows a previous decision that found Google held an illegal monopoly over internet search traffic.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, whose office joined a bipartisan coalition of 38 attorneys general in the lawsuit against Google, said the order is intended to create more competition in the search market. “The court’s order will finally begin to open more competition for the benefit of consumers and the businesses that advertise via search engines,” Brown stated.

The lawsuit was originally filed in December 2020 and pursued alongside a federal antitrust case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice in October of that year. In August 2024, a federal district court in Washington, D.C., ruled that Google abused its monopoly power in search and search advertising, harming consumers. Earlier in 2025, the coalition of states and the Justice Department proposed a package of remedies aimed at restoring competition and supporting innovation.

The Washington Attorney General’s Office emphasized its role in representing state agencies, enforcing consumer protection and civil rights laws, and pursuing cases involving antitrust matters.