Topline
The U.S. government on Wednesday requested a federal judge order Google to sell its Chrome web browser and make significant changes to how search works on its Android mobile operating system, in a filing made months after the judge ruled that Google violated antitrust laws to maintain an illegal monopoly with its search engine.
The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to force Google to sell off Chrome and make … [+]
Key Facts
In a 23-page filing before the District of Columbia federal court, the DOJ outlined a breakup proposal requiring Google to sell off Chrome, which the agency said “fortified” its dominance.
The proposal seeks to prevent Google from reentering the browser market for five years after the Chrome sale, while also banning the company from owning or making an investment “in any search or search text ad rival, search distributor, or rival query-based AI product or ads technology.”
The DOJ notes that the sale of the browser will “permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet.”
The proposal also calls for changes to the Android mobile operating system—which the DOJ identifies as another key vector for Google’s search dominance—including restrictions that prevent it from favoring the company’s own search engine and ad provider.
The DOJ, however, notes that such a remedy would require strong oversight and if Google failed to enact them properly, the court should force the company to sell Android.
The DOJ notes that it stopped short of seeking an immediate divestiture of Android by Google, because it recognized that such a request “may draw significant objections from Google or other market participants.”
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What Are The Other Proposed Remedies Targeting Google?
Aside from the sale of Chrome and changes to Android, the DOJ also wants the court to prohibit Google from entering any deals with companies like Apple to make Google’s search engine the default on their devices. The DOJ also wants to prevent Google’s search engine from receiving any preferential access to platforms and services it owns, like YouTube and Gemini. Other proposals include requiring Google to syndicate its US search results and ranking signals with rivals for 10 years, and letting other companies access its search index at a marginal cost.
Crucial Quote
“Google’s exclusionary conduct has ensured not only that rivals are denied distribution but also that rivals are unlawfully disadvantaged with respect to quality…The playing field is not level because of Google’s conduct, and Google’s quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired. The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages,” the DOJ argued in its filings.