Google Proposes Slap on the Wrist in Response to DOJ’s Antitrust Breakup Plan

Google has proposed its own set of remedies to address the Justice Department's antitrust concerns, offering to unbundle its Android apps in exchange for selling Chrome and other key units.

The Verge report In a move to counter the Department of Justice's proposed solution to break Google's alleged search monopoly, the tech giant has offered its own set of amendments, officials said. The Justice Department's original list of remedies included forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser, but Google's response suggests a different approach.

Rather than selling Chrome, Android, or Google Play, as contemplated in the Justice Department filing, Google's proposed solution would be to sell its services to Apple for exclusive and preferential placement. and Mozilla. The company is also working on licensing deals with Android phone manufacturers and deals with wireless carriers. But Google's proposal does not address the Justice Department's proposal to potentially require the company to share valuable search data with competitors to level the playing field.

Google's lawyers said the court's ruling specifically targeted the company's search distribution agreements, so the proposed remedies are aimed at directly addressing those concerns. In a blog post, Lee Ann Mulholland, Google's vice president of regulation, outlined the company's plan to ban Google from entering into agreements that link licenses for Chrome, search, and the Android app store Google Play for three years. did. Deployment or pre-installation of other Google apps such as Chrome, Google Assistant, and Gemini AI Assistant.

Under Google's proposal, the company would still be allowed to pay for default search placement in browsers. However, you should be able to allow multiple transactions across different platforms and viewing modes, and revisit these agreements at least once a year.

Google still plans to appeal Judge Amit Mehta's ruling that found the company a monopolist acting to maintain its monopoly, but plans to file an amendment on March 7. The submission is expected to be made ahead of a two-week trial in April. Focus on the issue of remedies.