Google to spend $500M to revamp compliance structure after shareholders seek ‘culture change'

Core Points - Google has agreed to spend $500 million over 10 years to overhaul its compliance structure as part of a settlement for shareholder litigation alleging antitrust violations [1][4] - The settlement requires approval from US District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco [1] - The changes include establishing a standalone board committee for risk and compliance, which was previously managed by the audit and compliance committee of Alphabet's board [3][4] Compliance Overhaul - Alphabet will create a senior vice president-level committee to address regulatory and compliance issues, reporting directly to CEO Sundar Pichai [4] - A compliance committee will be formed consisting of Google product team managers and internal compliance experts [4] - The reforms are described as a comprehensive overhaul of Alphabet's compliance function, aiming for a deeply rooted culture change [5] Legal Context - Shareholders, led by two Michigan pension funds, accused Google executives of breaching fiduciary duties by exposing the company to antitrust liabilities in various business areas [4][6] - The settlement is noted as one of the largest by a company to fund regulatory compliance committees [5][9] - Shareholders' lawyers plan to seek up to $80 million for legal fees and expenses in addition to the $500 million settlement [8] Ongoing Legal Issues - The settlement was disclosed on the same day a hearing was held regarding Google's violation of federal antitrust law to maintain its dominance in search [7] - The Justice Department has proposed significant measures, including requiring Google to sell its Chrome browser and share search data with rivals [7]