South Raleigh News

Attorney General Jeff Jackson, alongside a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general and the United States Department of Justice, has proposed measures to dismantle Google's alleged monopoly over internet search engines. This initiative aims to restore competition and benefit consumers. North Carolina is at the forefront of this coalition, which includes 38 other states that initiated the lawsuit in 2020.

"Google’s search monopoly violated federal antitrust law that has existed for more than a century to protect consumers and the marketplace," stated Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "The changes we’re proposing today would right Google’s wrongs and give control back to customers."

The revised proposed final judgment mirrors an earlier proposal from November, following a judicial ruling affirming Google's monopoly in online search and search text ads. The filing claims that Google’s actions have deprived "...American consumers and businesses of their right to choose among competing services, because Google has worked to guarantee that it always wins."

The coalition suggests several solutions to end Google's dominance in search engines, promote a competitive market for search engine services, and encourage innovation. If these measures prove ineffective or if Google fails to comply with the judgment terms, the governments propose requiring Google to divest Android. Additionally, future investments by Google would be subject to review by the states and the Justice Department to ensure they do not impede market competition.

A hearing on these proposed remedies is set for April 22 through May 2.