DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg has strongly condemned the remedies imposed on Google in the latest U.S. antitrust ruling, arguing that the measures fail to address the company’s entrenched monopoly in search.
Weinberg issued his statement late on September 2 via social media, where it quickly attracted over 230,000 views. It marks the privacy-focused search engine’s first public response to U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta’s September 2 decision outlining remedies in Google’s landmark antitrust case.
“We do not believe the remedies ordered by the court will force the changes necessary to adequately address Google’s illegal behavior,” Weinberg wrote, adding that the decision leaves Google free to “hold back competitors, including in AI search.”
Court Ruling Stops Short of Structural Breakup
Judge Mehta’s 230-page ruling requires Google to increase transparency in its advertising auctions, provide competitors with enhanced access to search index data, and end certain exclusive distribution agreements. Existing contracts must be modified by September 10, 2025.
The decision, however, rejected demands for more sweeping remedies such as the divestiture of Google’s Chrome browser. The Department of Justice and several states had sought such structural remedies, arguing they were necessary to restore competition in digital markets.
The case is part of a series of legal setbacks for Google. In August 2024, Judge Mehta concluded that the company illegally maintained monopolies in general search services and search advertising. In April 2025, a Virginia court separately ruled that Google had monopolized digital advertising technology markets.
Industry Concerns Over AI Competition
Weinberg’s criticism reflects growing concern in the tech industry that behavioral remedies—such as transparency requirements and licensing obligations—are insufficient to curb Google’s market dominance. He specifically pointed to artificial intelligence search, warning that Google remains positioned to suppress rivals in this emerging sector.
AI-driven search platforms have gained traction amid shifting user preferences. Analysts predict conversational AI could overtake traditional search by 2030. Apple’s recent decision to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT, rather than Google’s Gemini, into iPhone search features underscores how antitrust scrutiny is already influencing corporate partnerships. Competing platforms like Perplexity AI have also reported increased opportunities as a result of Google’s regulatory troubles.
DuckDuckGo’s Position in the Market
Despite heightened attention to privacy, DuckDuckGo continues to face an uphill battle against Google’s dominance. The company records approximately 9 million monthly downloads across mobile and desktop devices, but its global market share remains a fraction of Google’s, which stands at about 87 percent.
Weinberg concluded his statement with a call for legislative action:
“We believe Congress should now step in to swiftly make Google do the thing it fears the most: compete on a level playing field.”
