Attorney General Ellison proposes remedies for ending Google’s illegal search-engine monopoly
Joins bipartisan coalition of AGs and USDOJ in asking court to prohibit Google from paying to be default search engine, require Google to share unlawfully obtained data with rivals, and divest Chrome browser, among other remedies
Today’s filing follows August 2024 court finding that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in online search
November 21, 2024 (SAINT PAUL) — Today, Attorney General Ellison joined a coalition of state attorneys general and the Justice Department in proposing a robust package of remedies to end Google’s unlawful monopoly over internet search engines and to restore competition to benefit consumers.
In December 2020, Attorney General Ellison and a bipartisan coalition of 38 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit alleging that Google illegally maintains its monopoly power over general search engines through anticompetitive contracts and conduct. In a landmark decision in August 2024, a D.C. federal district court judge ruled that Google violated federal antitrust laws by illegally maintaining a monopoly in online search and search text ads, finding that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly.”
Today, Attorney General Ellison and the coalition filed a proposed final judgment (PFJ) that they ask the court to impose to end Google’s improper conduct and illegal monopoly that has stifled competition and harmed consumers. In the PFJ, Attorney General Ellison and the coalition seek to restore competition to benefit consumers in several ways, by asking the court to:
- End Google’s search distribution contracts and revenue-sharing agreements by prohibiting Google from paying to be the initial default search engine on any phone, device, or browser.
- Require Google to share data and information that it unlawfully obtained through its monopoly power with its rivals to improve the competitive choices available to consumers. This data will be shared in a manner that safeguards personal privacy and security.
- Require Google to divest Chrome, the Google-owned browser through which a significant percentage of all Google searches are made.
- Require Google to make additional divestitures, including the Android operating system, if Google fails to comply with specific remedies or if the remedies prove ineffective.
- Prohibit Google from foreclosing competition or self-preferencing through its ownership or control of other products, including Android.
- Prohibit Google from making Google Search or Google AI mandatory on Android devices, interfering with rival distribution, degrading rival quality, or leveraging distributors to preference Google.
- Require Google to give publishers the ability to opt out of having their data collected by Google for training Google’s AI models or used in Generative AI answers.
- Establish a five-member technical committee to implement, monitor, and enforce the remedies for ten years.
In addition, Attorney General Ellison and the coalition of attorneys general also propose that Google fund a public-education campaign to inform consumers what Google did, why it is illegal, and what choices consumers actually have in search engines.
“Competition is necessary for a strong economy because it drives prices down, spurs innovation, and rewards honesty and fairness. Fair competition on a level playing field benefits both consumers and businesses that play by the rules — and monopolistic behavior harms them,” said Attorney General Ellison. “The court found that Google has created and maintained an illegal monopoly over internet search engines that has harmed its competitors, driven up the cost of search advertising, and led to a worse experience for internet users across Minnesota. The remedies we have proposed today will, if the court imposes them, go a long way toward restoring fairness and competition online and immeasurably improving Minnesotans’ daily lives.”
A hearing on the proposed remedies is currently scheduled to begin on April 22, 2025, and conclude by May 2.
Attorney General Ellison encourages Minnesota consumers and businesses who wish to report concerns about antitrust issues to submit a report online via the Antitrust Report Form. Consumers may also call the Attorney General’s Office at (651) 296-3353 (Metro area), (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota), or (800) 627-3529 (Minnesota Relay).
