A federal judge has given the U.S. Justice Department until December to propose how Google should be penalized for monopolizing the internet search market, setting the stage for a decisive ruling next year.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, in a Washington D.C. hearing, laid out the timeline after ruling last month that Google had unlawfully cemented its dominance in search.
The focus now shifts to determining how the tech giant will be punished and what safeguards will be put in place to prevent future abuses.
Despite weeks of debate, the Justice Department and Google couldn’t agree on how the penalty phase should proceed.
Mehta stepped in, aiming for a trial next spring, possibly March or April, with a final decision expected before Labor Day 2025.
The process echoes the drawn-out legal battle Microsoft faced in the late ’90s when it was hit with antitrust violations.
What penalties Google might face is still up in the air, but the Justice Department is likely eyeing the deals Google has struck with Apple, Samsung, and others, where it pays billions annually to ensure its search engine is the default on smartphones and browsers.
Some speculate the government might go further, potentially seeking to break up parts of Google’s business, including its Chrome browser and Android software.
At the hearing, Justice Department lawyers stressed the complexity of crafting penalties, particularly as Google’s integration of artificial intelligence into search results could reshape the industry.
Meanwhile, Google’s legal team urged the court to avoid punitive measures they described as “political grandstanding.”
Both sides have until mid-September to agree on the timeline, with Google’s fate hanging in the balance as 2025 approaches.
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