BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, alongside a coalition of state attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice, has proposed a series of remedies to dismantle Google’s monopoly over internet search engines. The proposals follow a landmark August 2024 ruling where a D.C. federal district court judge found Google in violation of federal antitrust laws for maintaining an illegal monopoly in online search and search text ads.

The lawsuit, initially filed in December 2020 by Maryland and a bipartisan coalition, along with a separate federal antitrust lawsuit filed by the Justice Department in October 2020, accused Google of employing anticompetitive practices to maintain its dominance. The court is now tasked with determining how to restore competition and address the harm caused to consumers.

The proposed final judgment (PDF) aims to break up Google’s stranglehold on search by prohibiting it from paying manufacturers to prioritize Google Search as the default search engine on devices and browsers. The coalition also seeks to mandate that Google share data, obtained through its monopoly position, with competitors to foster a more competitive landscape. This data sharing would be subject to strict privacy and security measures.

The states also propose a public education campaign, funded by Google, to inform consumers about Google’s illegal practices and the choices they have in search engines. This campaign would aim to empower consumers and increase awareness of the competitive landscape.

A five-member technical committee, appointed by the court, would oversee the implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of these remedies over a 10-year period. A hearing on the proposed remedies is scheduled for April 22-May 2, 2025.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

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