The Google logo outside as the New York City offices, which were closed on May 19, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google is unlikely to be tried until the end of 2023, Judge Amit Mehta said at a status hearing on Friday.
Both parties agreed that this seemed a likely timeline and the judge set September 12, 2023 as a tentative date to start the trial.
The proposed timeline shows how long Google (and likely Facebook) will fight the US government’s antitrust challenges. Google is now facing three lawsuits from different groups of states and the DOJ, some of which could be consolidated in the same court.
That means that both Google’s company’s investigation will likely remain in the spotlight for several more years, and any changes that may be ordered by the court will also take a long time. In the short term, this is good news for investors, who do not need to worry about immediate structural changes that could damage the value of the company, such as spin-offs from major business units. But it also means that Google will face a major distraction and may be cautious in entering new business areas and making major acquisitions in the coming years.
Mehta had indicated at previous status hearings that he wants to continue the case quickly. But the suggested timeframe shows that even a relatively quick process can take years. A DOJ attorney estimated the trial would take 10 to 12 weeks, although a Google attorney said he expected it to take much less time for the case to go to court. Mehta said he set “the top / bottom” line at five and a half weeks.
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