Google Proposes Remedies After Antitrust Defeat

Google has proposed remedies as mandated by a US court after it was found guilty of perpetuating an illegal monopoly in online search earlier this year.

The ruling in August by Judge Amit P. Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia found Google had acted illegally in making massive payments to smartphone makers such as Apple and Samsung to use its search as default.

In Google’s court filing the company suggested modifications to the arrangement that are far less extensive than those proposed by government prosecutors, saying it should be allowed to continue to make such payments, but could offer phone makers less restrictive terms.

Apple could be allowed to select different default search engines for iPhones and iPads, for instance, said Google vice president of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland in a blog post.

Search competition

Companies making phones using Google’s Android operating system could install multiple search engines and could be allowed to install other Google apps without installing Google’s search of its Gemini AI assistant, Mulholland said.

Browser makers such as Apple and Mozilla could be allowed to change their default search engines at least every 12 months, she said.

“We don’t propose these changes lightly. But we believe that they fully address the court’s findings, and do so without putting Americans’ privacy and security at risk or harming America’s global technology leadership,” Mulholland wrote.

She reiterated that Google plans to appeal Judge Mehta’s ruling following his decision on remedies, expected after a trial in August of next year.

In the filing, Google said it was proposing a “robust mechanism” for compliance without “giving the government extensive power over the design of your online experience”.

Chrome sale

The remedies proposed by the Department of Justice are far more extensive, including barring Google from making payments to phone makers and forcing it to sell its Chrome browser.

While Google proposed its terms should apply for three years, the Justice Department said they should apply for a decade.

Google said the government sought a response that “exceeds the anticompetitive conduct found at trial”.