Google Refuses to Share Data with ChatGPT Maker OpenAI, Tells Court

Google has petitioned a magistrate to delay the requirement for the company to disclose data to competitors, including OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT. According to court documents, Google is contesting a decision that it has an unlawful monopoly in online search. District Judge Amit Mehta of Washington declared in 2024 that Google employed illegal strategies to sustain its hegemony in online search. Due to exclusive distribution arrangements that made it the "default" option consumers were likely to utilise, the judge determined that the internet titan had a monopoly on search and text advertising.According to court documents, Google is now pleading with a federal appeals court to overturn that decision. Let’s explore the more details of this story.

Google Locking Horns with Judge Mehta

Judge Mehta went too far in attempting to level the playing field by requiring the corporation to share its data with rivals, such as ChatGPT manufacturer OpenAI, according to Google's appeal. In the court brief, Google contended that the ruling puts Google at risk of losing trade secrets before its appeal is decided.

According to the search engine behemoth, the decision disregarded the fact that people use Google voluntarily rather than under duress. In a blog post, the company said that the decision did not take into consideration the quick speed of innovation and fierce competition it faces from both well-funded start-ups and established players. Google's vice president of regulatory relations, Lee-Anne Mulholland, wrote this interesting piece.

Google stated that it is not attempting to delay other requirements from Mehta's earlier judgements, such as those pertaining to user data security and privacy protections. Google feels that these remedies are unnecessary and should never have been implemented. The company further stated that while its appeal is ongoing, it is willing to do all within its power to avoid giving up its data or delivering syndicated results and advertisements.

The Background of the Google Case

In the autumn of 2023, the case—which was filed in 2020, during the first Trump administration—went to trial. In August 2024, US District Judge Amit Mehta declared that the firm had unlawfully monopolised the search industry. Mehta added that by entering into agreements with Apple and other smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung, the firm mandated the use of its search engine as the default.

The judge concluded that those agreements, for which Google spends over $20 billion a year, prevented competitors from accessing important distribution channels. Mehta turned down the Justice Department's attempt to compel the sale of Google's well-known Chrome browser following a second trial in the spring of 2025. He maintained that Google can keep funding its AI programmes and search engine as the default choice, but he insisted that the contracts be rebid yearly to give competitors additional chances to compete.