- FTC says a remedy should be “nap open” previously closed markets for competition
- Google must “share targeted parts of its search index” and more
- It may still have to sell chrome and end exclusivity agreements
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has spoken in favor of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposal for Google to share search data with competitors, stating that the decision would include sufficient protective measures.
The proposal aims to break Google’s illegal monopoly in online search according to a federal judge from August 2024. The company accounts for nine out of 10 of all searches globally from April 2025, according to Statcounter data.
To comply with the DOJ proposal, Google must “share targeted parts of its search index, user and ad data with certain competitors for a limited period of appropriate security and privacy protection measures.”
FTC agrees with DOJ proposal to tackle Google Search Market Dominance
The Commission explained in a map that any means, including in the case of Google, “effectively prolongs open to competition a market that has been closed by defendant ‘illegal restrictions.”
The short concludes that DOJ’s revised proposed final judgment is “well designed to protect users ‘privacy as it seeks to” pry open’ long monopolized markets. “
It is hoped that by increasing competition, Google will be forced to improve its privacy practices and mark a unified victory for American citizens.
The proposal also includes the appointment of a compliance committee, but DOJ still calls on the right to force Google to dispose of its chrome browser and stop paying Apple and others to set Google as a standard search engine for millions globally.
Katherine White, Deputy CEO of FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, commented: “The protection protection measures proposed by DOJ are in line with the measures that the FTC has demanded that several companies take to tackle confidentiality and data security errors.”
Techradar Pro Have asked Google for a comment on both existing remedies and the ongoing proposals – any update will be published here.
