On May 23, the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington held a press conference. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter talked about the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment at the press conference. Attorney General Merrick Garland Garland with Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, 2024.
Ken Cedeno | Reuters
The U.S. Department of Justice late Tuesday made recommendations on Google’s search engine business practices, indicating it is considering breaking up the tech giant as an antitrust remedy.
department said in a document “Remedies needed to prevent and limit the maintenance of monopolies may include contractual requirements and injunctions; non-discriminatory product requirements; data and interoperability requirements; and structural requirements.”
The U.S. Department of Justice also said it is “considering behavioral and structural remedies to prevent Google from using products such as Chrome, Play, and Android to exploit Google Search and Google Search-related products and features, including emerging search access points and features.” , such as artificial intelligence – outperforming competitors or new entrants.
In August, a U.S. judge ruled Google Google held a monopoly in the search market after the government filed a landmark case in 2020 that accused it of maintaining its share of the general search market by erecting strong barriers to entry and feedback loops that maintained 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 planned to appeal the ruling and emphasized the court’s emphasis on the high quality of Google’s search products, which the judge also noted in the ruling.
Some legal experts believe the most likely outcome is that a court will require Google to void certain exclusive agreements with Apple. They also believe the court may recommend that Google make it easier for users to try other search engines. However, experts said at the time that a breakup seemed less likely.
In the second quarter, “Google Search and Others” revenue was US$48.5 billion, accounting for 57% of Alphabet’s total revenue. The company holds 90% of the search market share.
The recommendations are far from certain.
Judge Mehta said he aims to rule on the remedy by August 2025, and Google may appeal, which could take years to have a final impact. In another antitrust case this week, a U.S. judge issued a permanent injunction forcing Google to provide an alternative to the Google Play Store for downloading apps on Android phones.
A judge just concluded a trial in another antitrust case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, although that case focused on Google’s ad tech business.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
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