The Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking a federal judge to order Google to sell its Chrome browser after a court found that Google maintains an illegal monopoly on online search.
In a filing late Wednesday night, the Justice Department argued that Google's ownership and control over Chrome, as well as Android, impedes efforts to open up the market and prevent future monopolies.
“Google's actions have not leveled the playing field, and Google's quality reflects its unjustified acquisition of illegally obtained profits,” the agency wrote. “Remedies must close this gap and deprive Google of these benefits.”
The Justice Department's proposal would require Google to divest from Chrome and ban the search giant from owning another browser for five years. It would also prevent the company from owning or investing in other potential rivals during the same period.
As for Android, the Justice Department claims it provides Google with “a myriad of obvious and not-so-obvious ways to favor its own search products,” but the Justice Department has other remedies. He said he would ask the company to withdraw from the mobile OS only if no measures were taken. It is effective in curbing monopolies or Google tries to avoid monopolies.
The relief also covers exclusive agreements Google has made with partners like Apple to make its search engine the default on its devices. The Justice Department's proposal would ban such agreements, which was at the heart of the case.
Google will also be prohibited from prioritizing its search engine over other products such as Android, YouTube and its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Gemini.
Kent Walker, Google's chief legal officer and president of international affairs, called the Justice Department's recommended remedies a “remarkable proposal.”
“The Department of Justice had an opportunity to propose remedies related to the issues in this case: Search distribution agreements with Apple, Mozilla, and smartphones. [original equipment manufacturers]and wireless carriers,” Walker wrote in a blog post.
“Instead, the Department of Justice has chosen to pursue radical interventionist policies that harm the American people and America's global technology leadership,” he added. “The Justice Department's very broad proposal goes far beyond the court's decision. It would destroy many Google products, beyond search, that people love and find useful in their daily lives. It will be.”
