A federal judge has given the U.S. Justice Department until the end of the year to outline how Google should be punished for illegally monopolizing the internet search market. This decision came during the first court hearing since the judge branded Google as a ruthless monopolist in a landmark ruling last month.
The penalty phase will determine how Google should be penalized for years of misconduct and what changes should be made to prevent potential future abuses by the dominant search engine. The trial for the penalty phase is expected to take place next spring, with March and April being the likely months for the proceedings.
If the timeline proceeds as planned, a ruling on Google's antitrust penalties would come nearly five years after the Justice Department filed the lawsuit that led to a 10-week antitrust trial last autumn. The Justice Department has not yet disclosed the severity of the punishment it will seek, but potential targets include Google's long-running deals with tech companies like Apple and Samsung to make its search engine the default option on smartphones and web browsers.
In a more drastic scenario, the Justice Department could push for Google to divest parts of its business, such as the Chrome web browser and Android software. Both of these products contribute significantly to Google's search traffic.
During the hearing, Justice Department lawyers emphasized the need for a comprehensive proposal that considers Google's use of artificial intelligence in search results and its potential market impact. Google's legal team expressed a desire for realistic penalties that address the issues in the judge's ruling without resorting to extreme measures.
The judge has set a deadline of September 13 for both parties to submit a proposed timeline, including the Justice Department's proposed punishment, before the end of 2025.
