By Jody Godoy
(Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice is expected on Tuesday to tell a judge what actions Alphabet’s Google should take after he ruled in August that it illegally monopolized online search in the United States, the latest step in a long legal process.
Here is what has happened so far in the case and what comes next.
Oct. 20, 2020 – The Justice Department sues Google alleging that it illegally monopolized the online search and related advertising markets, the first time in a generation that the U.S. government accused a Big Tech corporation of an illegal monopoly.
Sept. 12, 2023 – Google defends its practices at a trial before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, saying it had won its market share by providing a high-quality service.
Nov. 16, 2023 – The trial’s evidence phase concludes, after Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the stand and acknowledged the importance of making its search engine the default on phones and other devices.
May 2-3, 2024 – Mehta hears closing arguments in the case, pressing Google on how rival search engines could compete, and whether online advertisers would substitute social media or other ads for search advertising.
Aug. 5, 2024 – The judge finds Google violated U.S. antitrust law, saying that “Google has no true competitor.”
Oct. 8 – Prosecutors to file a broad framework for what remedies the case could include.
Nov. 20 – Prosecutors will file a proposed order in the case, outlining the exact remedies they seek.
Dec. 20 – Google will have a chance to propose its own remedies.
April 22, 2025 – Mehta will hold a two-week trial on what remedies are appropriate in the case.
August 2025 – Mehta has said he aims to issue a remedies ruling by late summer.
September 2025 – Google has said it plans to appeal – it will have 30 days from the final judgment in the case to begin the process. The appeal could stretch into 2027 or later.
(Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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