Google faces final antitrust showdown as US pushes for sweeping remedies

The US Justice Department and a coalition of state attorneys general will deliver closing arguments on May 30 in a landmark antitrust case against Google, as a federal judge weighs whether the tech giant should be compelled to divest its Chrome browser and halt practices that regulators say have stifled competition in online search.

The case, the most significant challenge to a tech company’s market dominance since the Microsoft trial more than two decades ago, could reshape the business of internet search and digital advertising. Prosecutors are seeking sweeping structural and behavioral remedies, including forcing Google to share search data with rivals and to cease multibillion-dollar payments to Apple and other partners that set Google as the default search engine on smartphones and other devices.

The proposals come after U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled last year that Google unlawfully maintained monopolies in search and search advertising, leveraging its dominance to lock out competitors. A final decision on the remedies is expected by August.

Artificial intelligence firms, which are already beginning to erode Google’s dominance as the default gateway to online information, could stand to gain from any mandate that loosens Google's grip. Reuters reported, during testimony, Nick Turley, head of product at OpenAI’s ChatGPT, said the company would be interested in acquiring Chrome if it were made available. He added that access to Google’s trove of search data would significantly improve the accuracy and timeliness of ChatGPT’s responses.

Google, for its part, argues that the remedies proposed by the government are overly punitive and exceed the scope of the court’s findings. The company has taken preliminary steps to open its ecosystem, including easing default search arrangements with partners like Samsung Electronics. However, the Justice Department has urged the court to go further, pressing for a ban on the lucrative default placement deals that helped entrench Google’s dominance.

The outcome of the case could have profound implications for how consumers access information online and for the future trajectory of competition in one of the most lucrative corners of the tech industry.