Federal Judge Sets Timeline for Google Antitrust Case Remedies by August 2025

Federal Judge Sets Timeline for Google Antitrust Case Remedies

A federal judge indicated on Friday that he aims to announce a punishment for Google’s dominance in the internet search market by August 2025. This marks the beginning of a new phase in an antitrust case that could significantly alter the landscape for the tech giant and redefine competition on the web.

During a hearing focused on establishing a timeline for determining appropriate remedies in the case, Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia instructed the Justice Department and participating states to submit a proposal by the end of this year. Following this, a new trial will be conducted to examine evidence on how to proceed, with that trial anticipated to occur around March or April.

Judge Mehta also hinted that he would consider the rapidly evolving technology landscape, particularly the emerging competition from artificial intelligence chatbots developed by firms such as OpenAI and Microsoft. “The world has changed since discovery closed two years ago,” Judge Mehta remarked, emphasizing that both Google and Microsoft have integrated AI into their search functionalities, and that OpenAI’s chatbot is now being utilized for search purposes.

Last month, Judge Mehta ruled that Google is a monopolist in the realm of internet search. He noted that Google has established and reinforced its overwhelming market share—exceeding 90 percent—through exclusive agreements with companies like Apple, which favor Google over alternative search engines.

The forthcoming decision regarding how to rectify Google’s monopolistic practices may set a crucial precedent for other federal antitrust actions targeting major players such as Amazon, Apple, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. In recent years, regulators have initiated lawsuits against these corporations, accusing them of fostering monopolies that adversely impact public discourse, commerce, and entertainment.

Proposed remedies in this case could encompass a range of actions, including limitations on agreements that designate Google’s search engine as the default on mobile devices, or even the possibility of breaking up the company entirely. The Department of Justice is contemplating a request to dismantle Google, potentially separating its search functions from other services like the Chrome browser and the Android operating system.

Judge Mehta’s evaluation of potential remedies will involve a thorough investigation into penalties, as well as hearings to gather more information. Google’s extensive financial agreements that position its search engine as the default on platforms such as Apple’s Safari browser and various software applications were significant factors in Judge Mehta’s previous ruling, which negatively impacted competitors like Microsoft’s Bing.

At the hearing on Friday, Justice Department lawyer David Dahlquist emphasized the necessity of refreshing the evidence pool, stating, “The trial was, of course, focused on the past, what Google has done for the past decade to monopolize those markets.” He added that new evidence is needed to explore “how do we open up those markets?”

Google’s lead attorney has indicated plans to call witnesses from OpenAI and Microsoft to provide insights during this new phase of the case.