A federal judge has ordered Google to limit its default search and AI app contracts to one-year terms, marking a significant blow to the company’s long-standing dominance in the digital search market. The ruling, issued in a December 2025 judgment by Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, requires Alphabet’s Google to renegotiate every default placement agreement annually—effectively ending multi-year deals that have helped secure its position as the default search engine on billions of devices. The decision follows Judge Mehta’s landmark 2024 finding that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in online search and search advertising. The one-year requirement is designed as a key enforcement mechanism to ensure fair competition and prevent Google from locking in long-term advantages with device makers like Apple, Samsung, and others. The ruling aims to level the playing field for emerging competitors, particularly fast-growing generative AI companies that have struggled to gain visibility in default search slots. By forcing annual renegotiations, the court hopes to create regular opportunities for rivals to bid for these valuable placements. The order complements a separate September directive requiring Google to share certain data about its search ranking algorithms with competitors, further increasing transparency in the market. While Google remains free to pay device manufacturers for default search placement, the annual renewal rule significantly reduces its ability to lock in market control over extended periods. This change could reshape how search deals are structured across the tech industry. Google and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest ruling.