Assistant US Attorney Jonathan Kanter speaks about the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment during a press conference as Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco appear at a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, US, May 23. , 2024. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
Ken Cedeno Reuters
The US Department of Justice last Tuesday made a recommendation for the business practices of Google’s search engine, indicating that there is a possibility of breaking the technology giant as an antitrust remedy.
The department said in a filing that remedies needed to “prevent and prevent the maintenance of monopolies may include contractual requirements and restrictions; non-discrimination product requirements; data and interoperability requirements; and structural requirements.”
The DOJ also said it is “considering behavioral and structural remedies that would prevent Google from using products such as Chrome, Play, and Android to benefit Google search and Google search-related products and features – including access points and emerging search features, such as artificial intelligence – through competitors or newcomers.”
In August, a US judge ruled Google holding a monopoly on the search market after a landmark case from the government filed in 2020, it is alleged that Google has maintained its share of the public search market by creating strong barriers to entry and feedback that maintains its dominance. The court found that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits monopolies.
Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, said the company plans to appeal the decision and highlighted the court’s emphasis on the high quality of Google’s search products, which the judge also noted in his decision.
The most likely outcome, according to some legal experts, is that the court will ask Google to break certain exclusive agreements such as with Apple. He also believes that the court could advise Google to make it easier for users to try other search engines. However, break-up seems less likely, experts said at the time.
In the second quarter, “Google Search & Other” contributed $48.5 billion in revenue, or 57% of Alphabet’s total revenue. The company holds 90% of the search market share.
Recommendations are still far from decided.
Judge Mehta said he would rule on the remedy in August 2025 and that Google would likely appeal, reflecting the final impact that could take years. In a separate antitrust case this week, a US judge issued a permanent injunction that would force Google to offer an alternative to the Google Play store for downloading apps on Android phones.
The judge just concluded a hearing for a separate antitrust case brought by the DOJ — though this one involved Google’s ad tech business.
This is new news. Please check back for updates.
