In the latest round of its high-stakes antitrust battle, the U.S. Department of Justice is pulling back the curtain on Google’s deeper plans to dominate the Android ecosystem—this time, through AI.
During the second day of a major antitrust trial in Washington, fresh evidence revealed that Google wasn’t just trying to secure its search engine as the default on Android phones. The tech giant also pushed for default placement of its Gemini AI app and Chrome browser—an aggressive strategy aimed at strengthening its grip on mobile users before they even unlock their phones.
These revelations come just days after a federal judge ruled that Google had unlawfully cornered the online advertising market. That decision marked a significant win for the DOJ, which argues that Google’s web of contracts and integrations has effectively shut out competition.
According to documents presented in court, Google last year approached Android manufacturers like Samsung with proposals that would have given exclusive space to its search, AI, and browser tools. That level of control, prosecutors argued, is designed to funnel users into Google’s ecosystem and edge out alternatives like ChatGPT.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta had already ruled that Google gained its monopoly in part through default agreements—deals that nudged out rival options before users could choose for themselves. While Google claims it ended one such deal with Samsung this April, the DOJ noted that the change wasn’t publicized and only happened under legal pressure.
What’s really at stake, prosecutors say, is the future of artificial intelligence. By anchoring Gemini AI as a default app, Google is potentially replicating its search monopoly in a new era. That move, they warn, could prevent emerging AI platforms from ever reaching critical mass.
Adding weight to the DOJ’s argument, OpenAI’s head of product for ChatGPT, Nick Turley, is set to testify. Prosecutors are expected to use his testimony to demonstrate how hard it is for rival AI tools to gain traction when Google controls the pipeline to billions of Android users.
Google has pushed back, insisting that competition in AI is fierce and that users remain free to choose. It also points to platforms like Meta as major players in the space. But internal strategies surfaced during the trial suggest that Google was betting on defaults—not user choice—as its path forward.
Beyond AI, the case threatens to shake up Google’s powerful ad business. The DOJ is urging the court to force a breakup of Google’s advertising empire, including the sale of its ad server and exchange. If successful, the ruling could force the company to unwind key parts of its revenue engine.
At its core, this trial is not just about search or advertising—it’s about how much control one company should have over what users see, click, and now, even ask.
