Tech Policy Press - Analyzing Week One of Google Search's Antitrust Remedies Trial

Senior reporter Karina Montoya analyzes the DOJ’s push for structural remedies in the Google search antitrust trial, including potential divestiture of Chrome.

Google and the US Department of Justice returned to federal court on April 21 for the remedies phase to dismantle Google’s monopoly over search, as Judge Amit Mehta ruled last August. The first week of this trial showed a stark contrast between the DOJ and Google’s positions on the scope of penalties for breaking antitrust law in digital markets.

While the DOJ is focused on showing the feasibility of its proposed remedies, Google is unmoved in its disagreement with the judge’s ruling, reflecting the tech giant’s intent to appeal it after the remedies phase is over. Thus far during the trial, Google has not offered specific alternatives to the various DOJ’s proposals, except for agreeing to end exclusive agreements that require Apple, phone manufacturers that license Android, and browsers to preload Google products by default, while still preserving the option for the company to continue to make payments to those parties for distribution and placement of its products and services.

During opening statements, DOJ’s lead attorney for the case, Daniel Dahlquist, emphasized that remedies to undo an illegal monopoly need not be frozen in time, and that they can go beyond the specific conduct found as proof of monopoly power to prevent further monopolization of related markets.

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