Google and Justice Department to Present Closing Arguments in Antitrust Case

Core Points - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is concluding its antitrust case against Google, which may lead to significant changes in how the company operates, including the potential sale of its Chrome browser and changes to its default search engine agreements [1][2] - The DOJ argues that these measures are necessary to enhance competition in the online search market, while Google contends that the proposed remedies are excessive and that more targeted solutions would suffice [2] - The antitrust lawsuit was initiated in October 2020, with the DOJ alleging that Google monopolizes the search and advertising markets, controlling 80% of search queries in the U.S. [3] - A federal judge ruled in August 2024 that Google violated antitrust laws, emphasizing that the company paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status, which reinforces its market dominance [4] - In November 2024, the DOJ suggested breaking up Google to mitigate its market dominance, proposing several remedies [5] - Proposed remedies include the forced sale of the Chrome browser, banning lucrative default search engine deals, and requiring Google to license its search index data to competitors [6] - Google criticized the DOJ's proposals as "radical" and "overbroad," claiming they would disrupt various popular products [7]