Google to receive punishment for search monopoly by next August, says judge

A federal judge says he will deliver a punishment in Google's antitrust case by August 2025, according to The New York Times, after ruling earlier this month that Google had abused its monopoly power over the search industry.

Judge Amit P. Mehta established a timeline for the remedies phase of Google's antirust trial during a hearing in Washington, D.C. on Friday, the outcome of which could upend how people find information on the internet. Prosecutors have until the end of the year to submit their proposals, which could take aim at Google's billion-dollar payments to Apple in exchange for priority placement, or potentially order Google to sell off parts of its business.

A lot can change in one year, however, especially given the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Republican and Democratic donors are both reportedly asking the candidates to shake up America's tough regulatory environment. The outcome of Google Search's antitrust case could be on the negotiating table in those discussions.