Google files remedies proposal in DOJ's antitrust case

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The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust trial vs Google just became more interesting. Google has proposed some remedies ahead of a hearing in April 2025.

In case you missed it, a federal judge found Google to be breach antitrust laws, accusing the company of building and maintaining an illegal monopoly in the search engine industry. While it prepares for the two-week hearing next year, Google ran into further problems, when it came to light that the DoJ was planning a proposition to break up Google, which could force Google to sell Chrome, and also split Android from the company.

Google obviously likes none of these, it believes the changes could harm the security and privacy of users, It has proposed some remedies for the Court to consider before the appeal begins. This isn't surprising, it had to be done, any company has to look at its best interests first.

Google suggests alternative remedies in the lawsuit against the DoJ

Let's take a closer look at the proposals. The first one says that "Browser companies like Apple and Mozilla should continue to have the freedom to do deals with whatever search engine they think is best for their users."



I'm going off-topic for a bit here. Google Chrome is one of the founding members of the Browser Choice Alliance, a coalition of browser makers that seek to allow users the right to use their browser of choice on Windows. Allow me to quote what Google Chrome's VP and GM said about Microsoft's unfair practices to promote Edge on Windows devices.

“Consumers have many choices when it comes to browsers. When they choose to download a browser, their choice should be respected. We’re proud to be part of a group advocating for consumer choice and respect.”

Now, when you switch the topic to search engines, Google does exactly what Microsoft has been accused of. If Microsoft is wrong to decide that Edge is the best experience for the user, then Google cannot decide that it is the best search engine either. You see, it is not the user's choice, it is a revenue sharing partnership between two companies.

Back on topic. Browser companies and Apple already have the freedom to make deals with whomever they wanted. Why didn't they? Not everyone has pockets that run deep as Google's to make deals with OEMs. Google argues that the Court had accepted that browser companies assess the quality of various search engines, and find Google to be superior to its rivals. Once again, this lawsuit is not about the quality of a service, but about unfair practices by the company, which has been deemed to be an illegal monopoly, and its agreement with Apple which is reportedly worth billions played a crucial role in the outcome.

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