Buckeye Reporter

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, along with a coalition of 37 state attorneys general and the Justice Department, has proposed a final set of remedies aimed at dismantling Google's alleged monopoly over internet search engines. This move seeks to restore competition and benefit consumers.

"Google’s monopoly has stifled competition for too long,” stated Yost. "Ohioans—and all Americans—deserve real choices in the marketplace, not a system rigged to benefit one company at the expense of innovation and consumer freedom."

The revised remedies closely follow those presented by the states and the Justice Department in November. These were initially filed with a federal district court judge in the District of Columbia, who previously ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by maintaining an illegal monopoly in online search and search text ads.

Following discovery completion, both parties were instructed by the court to submit a revised proposal by March 7. This marks the plaintiffs’ final proposal on remedies before the court decides on enforcement.

The proposed remedies include prohibiting payments to Android partners and Apple for default search engine status on devices or browsers, divesting Chrome, and creating safe channels for data sharing to enable rival competition. Google can still pay for placement and promotion of its products in the App Store.

Should these rules prove ineffective or if Google attempts circumvention, it may be required to sell off Android. However, Google will retain its current AI products and can continue future AI investments. The states and Justice Department will review any future AI-related investments or purchases for potential competitive harm.

A hearing regarding these proposed remedies is set for April 21.