US v. Google: all the news from the search antitrust showdown

Mar 08, 2025 05:58 AM - 2 weeks ago 23474
  • Lauren Feiner

    Breaking down the DOJ’s scheme to extremity Google’s hunt monopoly

    A gavel successful beforehand of a inheritance of Google shields.

    A gavel successful beforehand of a inheritance of Google shields.

    Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

    Next year, a tribunal mightiness show Google to do thing from syndicating its hunt results to trading the Chrome browser. These remedies and much were included successful a request past week from the Justice Department, which is aiming to break up Google’s hunt monopoly.

    The DOJ’s proposals clued successful the nationalist to what the authorities really wants retired of Google. Though the title was revenge successful 2020, the first shape of the proceedings focused only connected whether Google was liable for the antitrust harms the authorities alleged. After Judge Amit Mehta ruled this summertime that Google is an forbidden monopolist successful wide hunt services and hunt matter advertising, the authorities has yet laid retired its scheme for really to reconstruct competition, pinch proposals ranging from comparatively elemental tweaks successful business practices to ample structural changes.

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  • Lauren Feiner

    DOJ says it will fto Google salary Apple for services unrelated to search.

    That’s 1 of the insignificant changes the Justice Department made to its projected last judgement successful its antitrust case. The DOJ Antitrust Division is still operating nether an acting main arsenic President Donald Trump’s nominee Gail Slater awaits confirmation. But truthful far, the authorities made only mini tweaks to its asks based connected discovery. It’s nary longer asking that Google divest AI investments, for example, but that it springiness a heads up connected early ones.

  • Umar Shakir

    Apple’s effort to intervene successful the Google Search antitrust proceedings is denied

    STK468_APPLE_ANTITRUST_CVIRGINIA_I

    STK468_APPLE_ANTITRUST_CVIRGINIA_I

    Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

    US District Court Judge Amit Mehta denied Apple’s emergency petition to halt the Google Search monopoly proceedings that could dismantle their lucrative hunt that’s reportedly worthy as overmuch arsenic $18 cardinal a year. The bid came successful precocious Sunday, pinch Judge Mehta saying Apple hasn’t demonstrated satisfactory reasons for its emergency mobility to stay that was revenge connected January 30th.

    Apple said past week that it needs to beryllium progressive successful the Google proceedings because it does not want to suffer “the expertise to take sides its correct to scope different arrangements pinch Google that could use millions of users and Apple’s entitlement to compensation for distributing Google hunt to its users.”

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  • Lauren Feiner

    Apple asks tribunal to halt Google hunt monopoly case

    STK468_APPLE_ANTITRUST_CVIRGINIA_I

    STK468_APPLE_ANTITRUST_CVIRGINIA_I

    Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

  • Wes Davis

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai tells labor to expect a difficult 2025.

    During a 2025 strategy convention connected December 18th, Pichai urged Google’s workers not to go “distracted” by world regulatory scrutiny that he said “comes pinch our size and success,” reports CNBC.

    He said “stakes are high” erstwhile it comes to Google’s AI tech successful 2025, a twelvemonth successful which it faces perchance dense regulatory action astir the world beyond a imaginable antitrust breakup successful the US.

  • Umar Shakir

    Eddy Cue explains why Apple won’t make a hunt engine

    An illustration of the Apple logo.

    An illustration of the Apple logo.

    Illustration: The Verge

    Apple elder VP of services Eddy Cue says Apple will not create a hunt motor to compete pinch Google arsenic it “would costs billions of dollars and return galore years,” arsenic recorded successful a mobility to intervene filed pinch the Department of Justice (DOJ) connected Monday. The intent of the mobility is to participate successful the punishment phase of the DOJ’s antitrust case against Google, wherever arsenic overmuch arsenic $20 cardinal could beryllium astatine liking for Apple successful its ongoing default hunt motor deal pinch Google.

    The DOJ and Google person disagreed connected really to reside Google’s monopoly connected general-purpose hunt engines, but some parties person tentatively accepted cutting aliases renegotiating its Apple partnership. Last week Google projected a three-year prohibition connected strict semipermanent exclusivity deals involving immoderate ”proprietary Apple characteristic aliases functionality.”

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  • Umar Shakir

    Apple would for illustration to measurement successful to take sides its Google hunt deal.

    Apple revenge papers connected Monday to participate successful the Department of Justice’s victorious antitrust lawsuit against Google, which is now successful its punishment phase. Google will request to make important business changes, specified arsenic ending default hunt deals connected devices for illustration iPhones, which Google is OK with.

  • Lauren Feiner

    Google to court: we’ll alteration our Apple deal, but please fto america support Chrome

    The Google logo connected a shield pinch a gavel successful beforehand of it.

    The Google logo connected a shield pinch a gavel successful beforehand of it.

    Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

  • Richard Lawler

    Google’s counteroffer to the authorities trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps

    Photo illustration of Google logo successful beforehand of the US Court House

    Photo illustration of Google logo successful beforehand of the US Court House

    Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

    The Department of Justice’s list of solutions for fixing Google’s forbidden antitrust behaviour and restoring title successful the hunt motor marketplace started pinch forcing the institution to waste Chrome, and precocious Friday night, Google responded pinch a list of its own (included below).

    Instead of breaking disconnected Chrome, Android, aliases Google Play arsenic the DOJ’s filing considers, Google’s projected fixes purpose astatine the payments it makes to companies for illustration Apple and Mozilla for exclusive, prioritized placement of its services, its licensing deals pinch companies that make Android phones, and contracts pinch wireless carriers. They don’t reside a DOJ proposal astir perchance forcing Google to stock its valuable hunt data pinch different companies to thief their products drawback up.

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  • Thomas Ricker

    Google responds to DOJ’s ‘extreme proposal.’

    Alphabet’s apical lawyer says the agency’s projected remedies, which see selling disconnected Chrome, are portion of “a extremist interventionist schedule that would harm Americans and America’s world exertion leadership.”

    If adopted, Kent Walker says the information and privateness “of millions of Americans” would beryllium endangered, waste and acquisition secrets would beryllium sent to overseas companies, AI advancement and invention would beryllium stymied, and the world arsenic we cognize it would fundamentally end.

  • Lauren Feiner

    DOJ says Google must waste Chrome to ace unfastened its hunt monopoly

    An image of Sundar Pichai successful beforehand of a Google logo

    An image of Sundar Pichai successful beforehand of a Google logo

    Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

    The Department of Justice says that Google must divest the Chrome web browser to reconstruct title to the online hunt market, and it near the doorway unfastened to requiring the institution to rotation retired Android, too.

    Filed precocious Wednesday successful DC District Court, the first projected last judgement refines the DOJ’s earlier high-level outline of remedies aft Judge Amit Mehta recovered Google maintained an forbidden monopoly successful hunt and hunt matter advertising.

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  • Lauren Feiner

    Google workers to DOJ: we request protections to make your breakup effective

    Illustration of Google’s wordmark, written successful reddish and pinkish connected a acheronian bluish background.

    Illustration of Google’s wordmark, written successful reddish and pinkish connected a acheronian bluish background.

    Illustration: The Verge

    Google labor met pinch the Department of Justice Antitrust Division past period to stock workers’ perspectives up of the government’s expected connection to break up the company. Their message? That arsenic the DOJ attempts to extremity Google’s hunt monopoly, immoderate effective remedy must make judge workers are protected and empowered to speak out.

    Three members of the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA (AWU-CWA) met virtually pinch unit from the DOJ Antitrust Division connected October 23rd, workers who attended the gathering told The Verge exclusively. During the hour-long conversation, the Google labor urged the authorities to see really immoderate remedies imposed by the tribunal could effect workers and to make judge workers are protected and alert of their authorities to stock compliance concerns without facing retaliation.

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  • Lauren Feiner

  • Wes Davis

    US lawyers will reportedly effort to unit Google to waste Chrome and unbundle Android

    Photo illustration of a gavel casting a protector complete the Google logo

    Photo illustration of a gavel casting a protector complete the Google logo

    Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

    The Department of Justice is readying to inquire for Google’s antitrust proceedings judge to unit the institution to waste disconnected its Chrome browser aft the judge ruled the institution has maintained an forbidden hunt monopoly, reports Bloomberg.

    Chrome is the world’s astir wide utilized browser, and the government’s lawyers person based on that its usage successful cross-promoting Google’s products is 1 of the things limiting disposable channels and incentives for title to grow.

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  • Emma Roth

    Google is replacing the exec successful complaint of Search and ads

    An illustration of the Google logo.

    An illustration of the Google logo.

    Illustration: The Verge

    Google is making a large alteration to institution leadership. In a memo to unit posted connected Thursday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that Prabhakar Raghavan, the elder vice president successful complaint of search, ads, and different important segments, will now return connected the domiciled of main technologist.

    “Prabhakar has decided it’s clip to make a large leap successful his ain career,” Pichai writes. “After 12 years starring teams crossed Google, he’ll return to his machine subject roots and return connected the domiciled of Chief Technologist, Google. In this role, he’ll partner intimately pinch maine and Google leads to supply method guidance and activity and turn our civilization of tech excellence.”

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  • Lauren Feiner

    How the DOJ wants to break up Google’s hunt monopoly

    Google logo and achromatic swirls

    Google logo and achromatic swirls

    Illustration: The Verge

    After winning a conflict to get Google’s hunt business declared an unlawful monopoly, the Department of Justice has released its initial connection for really it’s reasoning astir limiting Google’s dominance — including breaking up the company.

    The authorities is asking Judge Amit Mehta for 4 different types of remedies to Google’s anticompetitive power successful hunt engines. They see behavioral remedies, aliases changes to business practices, arsenic good arsenic structural remedies, which would break up Google. And they’re focused peculiarly connected futureproofing the hunt manufacture for the emergence of generative AI. While AI mightiness not beryllium a substitute for hunt engines, the DOJ warns, it “will apt go an important characteristic of the evolving hunt industry.” And it intends to forestall Google from utilizing its powerfulness successful the manufacture to regain unfair control.

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  • Richard Lawler

    A Google breakup is connected the table, opportunity DOJ lawyers

    The Google hunt barroom getting smashed by a gavel

    The Google hunt barroom getting smashed by a gavel

    Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

    Now that Judge Amit Mehta has found Google is simply a monopolist, lawyers for the Department of Justice person begun proposing solutions to correct the company’s forbidden behaviour and reconstruct title to the marketplace for hunt engines. In a caller 32-page filing (included below), they said they are considering some “behavioral and structural remedies.“

    That covers everything from applying a consent decree to support an oculus connected the company’s behaviour to forcing it to waste disconnected parts of its business, specified arsenic Chrome, Android, aliases Google Play.

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  • Wes Davis

    The DOJ will person its projected scheme to woody pinch Google’s monopoly soon.

    Prosecutors for the US Department of Justice said successful a proceeding Friday that the DOJ will outline what Google should do to reverse its search monopoly status by December, reports Reuters.

  • Lauren Feiner

    The DOJ wants info connected Google’s AI strategy to bust up its hunt monopoly

    An illustration of Google’s multicolor “G” logo

    An illustration of Google’s multicolor “G” logo

    Illustration: The Verge

    The Justice Department wants to study much astir Google’s AI strategy successful bid to find what kinds of changes it will inquire for to resoluteness Google’s monopoly successful search.

    The petition came during a proceeding connected Friday successful a national tribunal successful Washington, DC, wherever Google and the DOJ met earlier Judge Amit Mehta, who precocious ruled successful favour of the DOJ and agreed that Google is an forbidden monopolist. Mehta’s determination officially ended the first shape of the trial, which focused connected whether Google is liable nether antitrust law. Now the parties are moving onto the remedies phase, wherever the authorities will propose solutions to correct the forbidden behaviour and reconstruct title to the market.

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  • Lauren Feiner

    Yelp sues Google for antitrust violations

    Photo illustration of a gavel casting a protector complete the Google logo

    Photo illustration of a gavel casting a protector complete the Google logo

    Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

    Yelp, 1 of Google’s astir persistent and outspoken rivals, has yet revenge its ain antitrust suit against the hunt giant, little than a period aft a federal judge ruled Google an forbidden monopolist.

    Yelp alleges that Google has created aliases preserved its monopoly successful section hunt services by preferencing its ain inferior vertical complete competitors’, which Yelp says harmed title and reduced the value of section hunt services. Yelp claims that the measurement Google directs users toward its ain section hunt vertical from its wide hunt motor results page should beryllium considered forbidden tying of abstracted products to support rivals from reaching scale.

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  • Lauren Feiner

    What Google rivals want aft the DOJ’s antitrust proceedings win

    An illustration of Google’s multicolor “G” logo

    An illustration of Google’s multicolor “G” logo

    Illustration: The Verge

    Longtime Google rivals for illustration Yelp and DuckDuckGo received a immense triumph connected Monday erstwhile a national judge ruled that Google is an forbidden monopoly. But their statements connected the ruling expressed restraint. That’s because the activity of restoring title has conscionable begun, and the judge has yet to determine what that activity will include. With a batch of options connected the table, Google’s competitors are pushing for changes they judge will thief their businesses, which mightiness beryllium harder than it sounds.

    “While we’re heartened by the decision, a beardown remedy is critical,” Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman wrote successful a blog post aft the ruling, referencing the caller proceedings shape that will kick disconnected successful September.

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  • Alex Cranz

    Google mislaid its first antitrust case, truthful what happens next?

    Google logo pinch gavel

    Google logo pinch gavel

    Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

    Google mightiness beryllium having a large Pixel telephone arena adjacent week, but this week the institution had to reckon pinch a awesome nonaccomplishment to the Department of Justice, who recovered the institution liable for violating US antitrust law.

    Naturally we had to break the full lawsuit down connected The Vergecast. So Lauren Feiner, who covered the case, and Alex Heath, who has been reporting connected the reactions from the tech world, joined Nilay and myself to screen the champion bits of the judge’s decisions and effort to fig retired what this each means.

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  • Nilay Patel

    ‘There’s nary price’ Microsoft could salary Apple to usage Bing: each the spiciest parts of the Google antitrust ruling

    The Google hunt barroom getting smashed by a gavel

    The Google hunt barroom getting smashed by a gavel

    Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

    The sentiment successful the Google hunt antitrust case, published Monday, is highly long. Because this was a chair trial, Judge Amit Mehta was connected the hook to make actual findings arsenic good arsenic ineligible findings. So, location are complete a 100 pages of findings of truth and moreover much of conclusions of law, adding up to a 286-page archive replete pinch footnotes, redactions, and moreover an schematic illustrative of a hunt consequence for “golf-shorts” (which, apparently, came up a batch astatine trial).

    The ruling successful United States v. Google is a batch to return in. Some of it was antecedently reported successful the property complete the people of the weekslong trial; but here, the judge has inadvertently compiled the trial’s top hits: catty quotes from executives, embarrassing soul studies, and a bunch of astonishing deets astir that multibillion-dollar statement that keeps Google the default hunt motor successful Safari.

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  • Jay Peters

    Now that Google is simply a monopolist, what’s next?

    Photo illustration of a gavel casting a protector complete the Google logo

    Photo illustration of a gavel casting a protector complete the Google logo

    Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge

    A national judge has ruled that Google has an forbidden monopoly successful the US. “The marketplace reality is that Google is the only existent choice” arsenic the default hunt engine, Judge Amit Mehta said successful his decision, and he wished it had gotten that measurement unfairly. It’s a ruling that could portend large changes for the company, but we yet don’t cognize really big, and we mightiness not for years.

    Mehta declared connected Monday that Google was liable for violating antitrust laws, vindicating the Department of Justice and a conjugation of states that sued the tech elephantine successful 2020. The adjacent measurement — deciding connected remedies for its forbidden behaviour — originates adjacent month. Both parties must submit a projected schedule for remedy proceedings by September 4th and past look astatine a position convention connected September 6th.

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  • Lauren Feiner

    Judge rules that Google ‘is a monopolist’ successful US antitrust case

    An image of Sundar Pichai successful beforehand of a Google logo

    An image of Sundar Pichai successful beforehand of a Google logo

    Image: Laura Normand / The Verge

    A national judge ruled that Google violated US antitrust rule by maintaining a monopoly successful the hunt and advertizing markets.

    “After having cautiously considered and weighed the witnesser grounds and evidence, the tribunal reaches the pursuing conclusion: Google is simply a monopolist, and it has acted arsenic 1 to support its monopoly,” according to the court’s ruling, which you tin publication successful afloat astatine the bottommost of this story. “It has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act.”

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  • Nilay Patel

    Well, that’s an absorbing sanction for it.

    BI’s Peter Kafka recovered out: Apple categorizes it arsenic “advertising.”

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