Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, alongside a coalition of 38 state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice, has advanced a final set of remedies aimed at dismantling Google’s monopolistic control over internet search engines. This initiative is intended to bolster competition and enhance consumer benefits nationwide.
The proposal, which closely mirrors initial suggestions presented last November, follows a significant judicial determination by a D.C. federal district court judge last year, affirming Google’s monopolistic status in the online search sector.
Attorney General Brown criticized Google’s unchallenged market dominance, stating, “Google’s dominance in the search market allows it to generate substantial revenue from digital advertising without the incentive to enhance its search engine quality. This litigation and subsequent remedies underscore our commitment to ensuring that no entity, regardless of its size, is exempt from legal accountability.”
The suggested remedies include prohibiting Google from making search-related payments to its distribution partners, such as Apple and Android. Moreover, the proposal mandates Google to divest from Chrome and potentially Android, depending on the efficacy of the initial remedies or Google’s compliance with the court’s orders. The proposal also permits the plaintiffs to preliminarily review Google’s future financial engagements with competitors in online search and generative AI technologies.
In addition to these measures, the decree would compel Google to relinquish some of its unfairly acquired advantages by mandating the sharing of specific segments of its search index, user data, and advertising data with competitors for a limited duration, with heightened considerations for privacy and national security.
A court hearing to discuss these proposed remedies is set to commence on April 21, 2025, and is expected to conclude by May 9, 2025.
