The Center for Journalism & Liberty at Open Markets Urges DOJ to Break Google’s Search Monopoly and Address AI Risks
WASHINGTON - Today, the Center for Journalism & Liberty (CJL) at the Open Markets Institute submitted a detailed letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division, advocating for decisive action to dismantle Google’s monopoly over online search and search text advertising. The letter outlines essential remedies to address Google’s unfair and illegal practices, particularly in the context of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
This follows the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s ruling that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act by maintaining illegal monopolies over online search. CJL calls on the DOJ to ensure the proposed final judgment provides robust solutions to restore competition and mitigate future harms, particularly to prevent Google from leveraging its dominance to control AI-assisted search markets.
Key Recommendations from the CJL Letter:
Structural Remedies: CJL supports DOJ proposals to divest critical Google assets, including Chrome, the Play Store, and Android, to prevent further monopolistic entrenchment.
AI Oversight: Emphasizing the role of AI in search, CJL advocates for remedies addressing how Google uses its data monopoly — built from vast quantities of copyright-protected and private data — to dominate AI-assisted search through Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and foundation models.
Opt-In Approach: CJL urges a shift to opt-in data collection for AI training, ensuring that publishers have control over their content while protecting them from retaliatory practices, such as being demoted in search ranking systems.
End Discriminatory Standards: CJL highlights Google’s use of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to impose harmful publishing standards, urging the DOJ to prohibit Google from penalizing publishers who resist such schemes with less visibility in search products.
Disgorgement of Improperly Obtained Data: CJL recommends the destruction of algorithms or AI models trained on data obtained through Google’s monopolistic practices, ensuring fairness in AI competition.
“Google’s dominance in search and its aggressive leveraging of that power into emerging AI markets pose a clear danger to competition, innovation, and the integrity of our information ecosystem,” said Dr. Courtney Radsch, Director of the Center for Journalism & Liberty. “The remedies outlined by the DOJ must not only address past harms but prevent future abuses that could further entrench Google’s power over innovators, content creators, news publishers, and consumers worldwide.”
CJL’s letter emphasizes that the stakes of this case extend beyond search markets to the very foundation of the digital economy and democracy. By addressing Google’s systemic anticompetitive behaviors and their impact on news publishers, CJL underscores the urgency of bold, far-reaching action to break up its monopoly.
For more information or to access the full letter, please visit CJL's website.
About the Center for Journalism & Liberty at the Open Markets Institute
The Center for Journalism & Liberty at the Open Markets Institute works to ensure a robustly funded and democratic news media industry capable of serving the public interest in the 21st century. CJL engages in research, advocacy, and education to address structural challenges to journalism and safeguard the free flow of information essential to democracy.
###