Google Offers To Loosen Search Engine Deals In Antitrust Response

Google has filed its proposal to settle an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which accuses the company of monopolistic search practices.

Google does not agree with the court’s initial decision and plans to appeal. However, as part of the legal process, Google and the DOJ must present proposed remedies.

Background

In October 2020, the DOJ and several state attorneys general sued Google for violating antitrust laws to maintain control over search services and advertising.

In September 2024, Judge Amit Mehta ruled in favor of the DOJ.

The DOJ is demanding that Google sell Chrome, which it claims strengthens Google’s search dominance.

In addition, the Department of Justice has suggested that Google sell Android if other solutions fail to restore competition.

Google’s defense

Google condemned the DOJ’s proposal, calling it a “radical interventionist agenda.”

Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, argued that legal remedies would “break Google’s product line” and result in “unprecedented government overreach.”

Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, said the case was about contracts, not broader competition issues.

The company believes that its success comes from having better products and innovative ideas, not from unfair competition.

Google stated in its application:

“People don’t use Google because they have to – they use it because they want to.”

DOJ Requests

The Ministry of Justice’s proposal calls for extensive structural changes, including:

• Mandatory sale of the Chrome browser
• Possible sale of android
• Prohibition of exclusive contracts
• Compulsory data sharing with competitors
• Increased supervision through the technical committee

Google’s Suggested Remedies

Google’s proposal focuses on search distribution agreements with browser and device manufacturers.

Here are the key points:

1. Browser Agreements: Browser companies like Apple and Mozilla would be allowed to negotiate multiple default search engine agreements across platforms.
2. Android contracts: Device manufacturers would have more freedom to independently preload multiple search engines and Google apps
3. Monitoring and compliance: A compliance monitoring system would be implemented

Next steps

A hearing on legal remedies is scheduled for April, when Google will appeal the court’s decision.

Google argues that its proposal is consistent with the court’s findings on search contracts, while the DOJ is seeking more sweeping changes.

This outcome of the case could affect the search engine market and Google’s business model as we know it.

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