Google issues its remedies proposal in antitrust case surrounding its search engine
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Google has issued its remedies proposal in an ongoing antitrust lawsuit. As part of an ongoing antitrust case related to its search engine, Google has submitted proposed remedies responding to the court decision, including how Apple may be affected. Google has been the subject of multiple antitrust lawsuits since 2023, when it was accused of knowingly breaking antitrust laws. The DOJ said that the company was an illegal monopoly in the search market, and courts eventually agreed with this assessment in August of 2024. Now, Google has taken the next step, after which it plans to submit an appeal.
Before Google can file an appeal, it's required to file a remedies proposal. The proposal outlines the steps Google could take in order to rectify the issues highlighted in the court's initial decision. The company has made it clear, however, that it's only submitting a remedies proposal as it's required by law.
In its proposed remedies, Google explains that it could alter existing contracts with what it calls "browser companies" such as Apple and Mozilla. Under the proposal, such companies would have the option of implementing different default search engines on different platforms and would be able to change their default search provider every 12 months.
In 2022, Google paid Apple $20 billion to be the default search engine on its platforms. The lucrative deal was revealed in a statement by Eddie Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President of Services, during legal proceedings. Google's latest proposed measures would allow Apple to, for example, implement one default search engine on the iPhone and offer another on the iPad.
