Alphabet’s Google has suggested new restrictions on its revenue-sharing agreements with companies like Apple, which currently set Google as the default search engine on devices and browsers.
These proposals are part of Google’s response to an ongoing antitrust case challenging its dominance in online search.
In August, US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google had unlawfully suppressed competition in the search market—a ruling Google plans to appeal.
In a legal filing submitted Friday, the company argued for the continuation of such contracts but proposed expanding options for users and partners. Among the suggested changes, Google proposed allowing different default search engines across various platforms and browsing modes and enabling partners to change their default search provider at least once every 12 months.
These recommendations sharply contrast with the remedies proposed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) last month. The DOJ has urged Judge Mehta to prohibit Google from entering into revenue-sharing agreements and even suggested that the company should sell Chrome, the world’s leading web browser.
Currently, Google dominates online searches, accounting for approximately 90% of global search activity, according to Statcounter, a web traffic analytics platform.
In its statement, Google criticized the DOJ’s proposals as excessive, adding that even its own countermeasures would impose costs on its partners. The company emphasized that its filing was in response to a court-mandated deadline.
Judge Mehta is expected to make a decision on the remedies phase of this landmark antitrust case by August, following a trial.