Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
This summer, Google lost an antitrust lawsuit regarding its search engine and was ruled a monopoly. In the aftermath, the government has been weighing ways to reduce the company’s influence over online search. In a new court filing, the Department of Justice revealed that it’s considering a breakup of Google, among other possible remedies.
The DOJ made a district court filing in Washington D.C. yesterday to propose solutions for Google’s search monopoly. In the report, the group calls out how Google uses its other products to prioritize and boost its search engine.
Similarly, plaintiffs are considering behavioral and structural remedies that would prevent Google from using products such as Chrome, Play, and Android to advantage Google search and Google search-related products and features — including emerging search access points and features, such as artificial intelligence — over rivals or new entrants.
One potential solution could see smartphones asking users for their preferred search engine, instead of defaulting to Google. As it currently stands, Google has a deal with Apple that makes Google the default search engine on iPhones and similar devices.
Google responded to the news in a blog post this morning, calling the proposed changes “radical” and “far beyond the specific legal issues in this case.” With the sides prepared to meet in court next year, expect to read future updates on the matter right here on Shacknews.