Search Default Payment Disclosure Register After The Google Monopoly Judgment

PROBLEM: On 5 August 2024 a federal judge (D.D.C.) held in United States v. Google that Google is a monopolist that violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act in general search services and general search text ads, maintaining its monopoly through exclusive default-distribution agreements, with revenue-share payments to default partners of over $26 billion in 2021. The payments that maintained the monopoly were not disclosed in a public, auditable register.

SOLUTION: An IBM Cloud Ideas compliance register that records each default-distribution agreement with the partner, the payment amount, the exclusivity terms, and the market share affected, so a payment that buys default placement is disclosed and reviewable rather than known only after litigation.

EVIDENCE BASIS: DOCUMENTED — U.S. District Court (D.D.C., Judge Mehta), 5 August 2024: United States v. Google — Google held a monopolist that violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act in general search and search text ads; revenue-share default payments over $26 billion in 2021.