Google is being told to stop selling Chrome and end its search monopoly
Reuters
The US Department of Justice is proposing a host of remedies to prevent Google from maintaining its internet search monopoly
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has demanded Google sells off Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser.
It is one of a series of remedies proposed by the DOJ in a court filing late on Wednesday aimed at stopping the tech giant from maintaining its monopoly in online search.
Government lawyers also recommended that District Judge Amit Mehta force the firm to stop entering into contracts with companies – including Apple and Samsung – that make its search engine the default on many smartphones and browsers.
The proposed remedies stem from a landmark anti-competition ruling in August, in which Judge Mehta found Google illegally crushed its competition in online search.
The Department of Justice was joined in the filing by a group of US states that argued the changes will help to open up a monopolised market. The US Department of Justice is proposing a host of remedies to prevent Google from maintaining its internet search monopoly. Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, said that the DOJ’s proposal was “wildly overbroad” and went far beyond the Court’s ruling.
It would also break many Google products – even those beyond Search – which people find useful in their daily lives. “
Google is expected to counter with its own proposed remedies by 20 December.
Judge Mehta is set to issue a decision by the summer of 2025.[The]Google’s search engine accounts for about 90% of all online searches globally, according to web traffic analysis platform Statcounter.
Government attorneys also said that Google’s ownership and control of the Chrome browser – along with the Android operating system – have allowed it to funnel users to its search engine.
Part of the proposal included barring Google from re-entering the browser market for five years.
The DOJ also proposed court oversight of Android to ensure the company refrains from using its ecosystem to “favour its general search services and search text ad monopolies. “
A new administration
The DOJ case against Google was filed in the closing months of the first administration of Donald Trump.
With the President-elect set to return to the White House on 20 January, questions have been raised about whether his new administration would take a different approach to the case.
“It would be odd for the second Trump administration to back off a lawsuit that they filed themselves,” said Rebecca Allensworth, associate dean for research and anti-trust professor at Vanderbilt Law School.
Even if Trump sought to stop the case from proceeding, which Prof Allensworth said is unlikely, the states listed as plaintiffs could proceed on their own.
“So, given that, they can’t make it go away,” she said. “I believe that the federal governments will continue to pursue this case, but I’m not sure how far they’ll go and what they’ll demand. “
The changes proposed could be a key factor in restoring the competition in the online search market. According to Professor Laura Phillips Sawyer of the University of Georgia School of Law, the user data Google gathered as a result of its dominant position in search was used to “fine-tune Google’s algorithm and sell text advertisements.” She says that if Mehta accepts government proposals, Google’s competitors – and newcomers – could thrive.
