Judge Dismisses Chegg and PMC Antitrust Suits Against Google
Judge Amit Mehta ruled Wednesday that Chegg and Penske Media's claims over Google's AI search features do not stand up to antitrust law.
US District Judge Amit Mehta on Wednesday dismissed antitrust lawsuits filed by Chegg and Penske Media Corporation against Google over its AI-powered search features. Mehta ruled that the publishers' claims do not stand up to antitrust law.
In his ruling, Mehta wrote that an expectation of search traffic is not an agreement and that this is simply how a general search engine works.
The decision hands Google a win as it faces mounting scrutiny over how its AI search products affect web publishers. Chegg and PMC had argued that Google abused its monopoly power by driving away traffic and coercing publishers into supplying content for AI Overviews for free.
The ruling follows Mehta's landmark antitrust decision against Google in 2024. Last year, Chegg and PMC filed their lawsuits, which have now been dismissed.
Separately, The Information reported this week that Google is paying around 100 publishers for their contributions to AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini as part of a pilot program. The Verge reported on the ruling.
Quick answers
Who filed the antitrust lawsuits against Google?
Chegg and Penske Media Corporation filed the lawsuits over Google's AI-powered search features.
Why were the lawsuits dismissed?
Judge Amit Mehta ruled that the publishers' claims do not stand up to antitrust law, writing that an expectation of search traffic is not an agreement.
What did Judge Mehta previously rule against Google?
In 2024, Judge Mehta made a landmark antitrust ruling against Google.