United States of America: Issued DOJ proposed remedies framework in lawsuit against Google concerning its monopoly over search engines

On 8 October 2024, the Department of Justice and Attorney Generals of various states issued a proposed remedies framework concerning Google's monopolistic practices in the search service provider market within the United States of America. This legal action follows a court ruling on 5 August 2024, which found Google liable under Section 2 of the Sherman Act for maintaining monopolies in the US general search services and US general search text advertising markets. The objective of the proposed remedies framework is to address and rectify Google's anticompetitive conduct, which has been identified as causing "interlocking and pernicious harms" to both users and the market. The Department of Justice is contemplating the implementation of "structural remedies", which include Google's business, such as Chrome, Android, and Play, that are alleged to confer an unfair competitive advantage upon the company. The DOJ's proposed remedies to address Google's anticompetitive practices are designed to limit the company's control over search distribution, reduce its dominance in data accumulation and use, and ensure fair competition in the generation of search results, particularly regarding emerging technologies such as AI. In particular, the proposed remedies seek to facilitate competition on Google's advertising platform by enhancing transparency and reducing barriers to entry. Moreover, it may include the prohibition of preinstallation agreements or default settings that favour Google. A proposed final judgment will be provided in November 2024 and following the Court’s Order, a revised proposed final judgment in March 2025.