- The FTC says a remedy should be “pry open” previously closed markets to competition
- Google must “share targeted portions of its search index” and more
- It might still have to sell off Chrome and end exclusivity deals
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has spoken out in favor of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposal for Google to share search data with competitors, stating that the resolution would include sufficient privacy safeguards.
The proposal aims to break Google’s illegal monopoly in online search, per an August 2024 federal judge ruling. The company accounts for nine in 10 of all searches globally as of April 2025, according to Statcounter data.
In order to comply with DOJ proposals, Google must “share targeted portions of its search index, user, and ads data with certain competitors for a limited period of time with suitable security and privacy safeguards.”
FTC agrees with DOJ proposal to tackle Google search market dominance
The Commission explained in a brief that any remedy, including in the case of Google, should “effectively pry open to competition a market that has been closed by defendants’ illegal restraints.”
The brief concludes that the DOJ’s Revised Proposed Final Judgement is “well designed to protect user privacy as it seeks to “pry open’ long-monopolized markets.”
It’s hoped that, by increasing competition, Google will be forced to enhance its privacy practices, marking an overall win for American citizens.
The proposal also includes appointing a compliance committee, but the DOJ is still urging the court to force Google to divest its Chrome browser and to stop paying Apple and others to set Google as the default search engine for millions globally.
Katherine White, Deputy Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, commented: “The privacy safeguards proposed by DOJ are in line with the measures the FTC has required numerous companies to take to address privacy and data security failures.”
TechRadar Pro has asked Google for a comment about both existing remedies and the ongoing propositions – any update will be posted here.
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