Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Other State Attorneys General Propose Remedies to End Google’s Search Engine Monopoly

Lincoln -Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined a coalition of 52 attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice to propose a robust package of remedies to end Google's unlawfully maintained search engine monopoly and revive competition for the benefit of consumers. 

In December 2020, the Nebraska Department of Justice joined a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit alleging that Google illegally maintains its search engine monopoly through anticompetitive contracts and practices. In August 2024, a federal district court judge ruled that Google had violated federal antitrust laws by illegally maintaining a monopoly in online search and search text advertising. Today, the state attorneys general proposed remedies that they believe will vindicate that landmark ruling.

The proposed final judgment seeks to end Google's illegal monopoly and restore competition. The proposed remedies include:

• Default Deals: Google would no longer be allowed to pay to be the default search engine on phones, tablets, web browsers, and other devices (known as revenue sharing agreements).
• Anticompetitive Practices: Google would be prohibited from using its ownership of other products, such as Android, to foreclose competition or for self-preferencing.
• Data Sharing: To revive competition, Google would be required to share data and information with certain rivals that it unlawfully obtained through its monopolistic practices.
• Potential Divestiture: If Google fails to comply or if the remedies prove ineffective, Google may be required to divest key platforms tied to its search dominance, such as Chrome and Android.

Additionally, the proposal includes a public education campaign, funded by Google, to inform consumers about the company's past violations and encourage them to explore alternative search engines. This campaign could include temporary financial incentives for users to try other services. These remedies would be enforced by a five-member technical committee and would last for ten years.

A hearing on the proposed remedies is scheduled to begin on April 22, 2025, and conclude by May 2, 2025.

The Plaintiff States include Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Iowa, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The states that sued with the U.S. Department of Justice include Arkansas, California, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin.