PA AG Joins Effort To End Google Search Engine Monopoly

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined a bipartisan coalition of 38 state attorneys general and the U.S. Justice Department that are seeking to end Google's monopoly over internet search engines.

A package of proposed resolutions take into account the default search engine, most notablyon Android and Apple devices. If approved, the proposal would bar Google from paying those companies to maintain their presence on Android and Apple devices.

The proposed judgment is similar to what the states and the Justice Department offered in November in an initial filing with a federal judge who last year ruled that Google is maintaining a monopoly in online searches.

“To ‘Google’ is used synonymously with searching for something online, and this coalition strongly believes that is due to monopolistic practices that have gone on for far too long,” Sunday said in a statement.

“Monopolies are bad for consumers, and in this case, the current search engine configuration allows Google to dictate search results, instead of the consumer controlling what they see. We hope this proposal leads to a new standard of diverse search options for consumers who deserve a competitive market.”

The proposed settlement would ban all search-related payments from Google to distribution partners, including Apple and Android partners. Google would also be required to divest Chrome, with the possible divestiture of Android if the initial set of solutions aren't effective or if Google fails to comply with the court order.

Google’s future financial interests in online search and generative AI competitors also would be subject to review for a limited period to ensure Google cannot use the same monopolistic playbook with new technologies. Finally, the order would deny Google of its continuing exclusive control of ill-gotten gains by requiring the company to share targeted portions of its search index, user and ads data with its competitors for a limited period of time.

A hearing on the proposed remedies is currently scheduled to begin on April 21 and conclude by May 9.

The coalition of attorneys general was co-led by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

Joining them are the Attorneys General from Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Colombia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska,
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, Guam and Puerto Rico.