Google says it could water down its search partnerships in antitrust proposal
Google; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI
- Google on Friday proposed possible remedies to resolve an antitrust case over its search business.
- Last month, the DOJ suggested that the judge force Google to sell its Chrome browser.
- Judge Amit Mehta is expected to rule on the final remedies by August 2025.
Google on Friday proposed limitations to its search partnerships as a potential remedy to resolve antitrust violations in its search business.
The proposal would allow Google to continue partnering with third-party companies like Apple in revenue-sharing deals that make Google the default search engine on their devices, unlike the Justice Department's proposal. However, Google's proposal would make the deals non-exclusive, the company said in its filing.
"We don't propose these changes lightly," Google said in a blog post about the proposal. "They would come at a cost to our partners by regulating how they must go about picking the best search engine for their customers. And they would impose burdensome restrictions and oversight over contracts that have reduced prices for devices and supported innovation in rival browsers, both of which have been good for consumers."
Last month, the Justice Department and a group of states asked Judge Amit Mehta to force Google to sell its Chrome browser to resolve the case. They also asked that Google be stopped from entering default search agreements with Apple and other companies and that Google should open its search engine results to competitors.
Industry experts previously told Business Insider that selling Chrome off would open up the browser market and would likely be cheered on by search rivals and advertisers, though it remains unclear how a possible Chrome spinoff might work.
Both sides will present arguments for their proposals at a hearing scheduled for April. The judge is expected to rule on the final remedies by August.
Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, previously said the company intends to appeal the judge's ruling, potentially delaying a final decision by several years.
Representatives for the Justice Department's antitrust division did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.