Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 38 attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), proposed a final package of remedies to end Google’s illegal monopoly over internet search engines and restore competition to the benefit of consumers. The revised proposal is similar to the robust package of remedies the coalition and DOJ offered in November.
Raoul and coalition have worked closely with the DOJ to offer a comprehensive and legally sound proposal that promises to tear down barriers to entry, restore competition, and invite renewed innovation and consumer benefits in the monopolized markets.
“Our remedies included in this revised proposal ensures Google cannot maintain its monopoly as an online search engine,” Raoul said. “Consumers deserve to have alternatives to Google’s platform and to have confidence their online searches are returning results that best meet their needs. I will continue to work with attorneys general on a bipartisan basis to increase options and mitigate anticompetitive behavior for consumers in Illinois and across the country.”
In 2020, Raoul and a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Google alleging that Google illegally maintains its monopoly power over general search engines through anticompetitive contracts and conduct. The multistate lawsuit was a companion to an earlier federal antitrust lawsuit the DOJ filed in October 2020.
In a landmark decision in August 2024, a D.C. federal district court judge ruled that Google violated federal antitrust laws by illegally maintaining a monopoly in online search engines and search text ads. At issue now are the remedies the court will impose to end Google’s improper conduct that has stifled competition and harmed consumers, and the steps necessary to restore competition for the benefit of consumers.
The revised proposed final judgment, filed today by Raoul and the coalition, continues to propose a ban on all search-related payments to distribution partners, such as Apple and Android. Google would also be required to divest Chrome, with the possible divestiture of Android if the initial set of remedies prove less effective than anticipated or if Google fails to comply with the decree.
Finally, the proposal would require Google to share targeted portions of its search index user and ads data – both unlawfully obtained through its monopoly power – with its competitors for a limited period of time. The revised proposal takes a more refined approach to the sharing of these types of data, accounting for important privacy considerations and protecting national security.
Joining Attorney General Raoul in the lawsuit are attorneys general of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
