Is the Google antitrust ruling a ‘big whiff,’ or an advantage for rivals like Microsoft?

Is the Google antitrust ruling a ‘big whiff,’ or an advantage for rivals like Microsoft?

Kim Malcolm

John O'Brien

September 04, 2025 / 6:48 pm

In a closely watched antitrust case, a federal judge ruled this week that Google has to share search results and some data with rival companies. But the judge ruled Google does not have to sell off Chrome, its ubiquitous web browser. What could this ruling mean for our homegrown tech behemoth Microsoft, and other search engine rivals of Google?

GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop looked into that and other questions in a new piece. He told KUOW’s Kim Malcolm what he found.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Kim Malcolm: This case was brought by Washington state, a coalition of other states, and the Justice Department back in 2020. What