The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has urged Google to divest its Chrome browser as part of broader measures to address the tech giant’s illegal monopoly in online search. In a court filing with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the DOJ proposed that Google be barred from re-entering the search market for five years if the remedies are approved. This pivotal decision will rest with District Court Judge Amit Mehta, whose ruling could reshape one of the world’s largest technology firms and redefine the internet’s structure. The penalty phase of the trial is set to commence in 2025.
Judge Mehta had previously ruled in August that Google wielded monopoly power illegally by dominating the search market. The judge also criticized Google for maintaining control over various online gateways and making payments to secure its position as the default search engine on third-party platforms. In its latest filing, the US Department of Justice emphasized that Google’s ownership of Android and Chrome gives it undue control over search distribution, undermining competition in the market.
DOJ Recommends Selling Android and Licensing Search Data
The US Department of Justice has suggested additional remedies, including compelling Google to spin off its Android mobile operating system. While acknowledging potential resistance from Google and its partners, the DOJ proposed stringent measures to ensure Android does not unfairly disadvantage competitors. If Google fails to meet these conditions, the department recommends forcing the sale of Android.
Another key proposal involves prohibiting Google from entering exclusionary agreements, such as its contract with Apple that makes Google the default search engine on Apple devices. Additionally, the DOJ advocates for licensing Google’s search and ad click data to rivals, aiming to level the playing field in the search and advertising markets.
To prevent Google from regaining dominance, the DOJ suggests banning the company from re-entering the browser market for five years after divesting Chrome. Furthermore, the department has called for restrictions on Google acquiring rival ad search technologies, query-based AI products, or ad tools post-divestiture. It also proposed that publishers be allowed to opt out of their data being used to train Google’s AI models. If these measures are enforced, they could significantly weaken Google’s competitive edge against OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic in the AI space.
Google Fires Back Against DOJ’s Proposals
In response, Google criticized the DOJ’s filing as an overreach, claiming it would harm American consumers and the nation’s technological leadership. Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs and chief legal officer, described the proposals as “a radical interventionist agenda” in a blog post. He argued that the measures would disrupt popular products like Chrome and Android, compromise user security and privacy, and degrade the quality of services like Mozilla Firefox, which relies on Google Search.
Walker also warned that restricting Google’s operations could hinder consumer access to its search engine and derail its efforts in the competitive AI market. “DOJ’s approach would result in unprecedented government overreach, jeopardizing America’s global economic and technological leadership at a critical time,” he added.
Google is expected to formally respond to the US Department of Justice’s proposals in court next month.
