The U.S. Justice Department has reaffirmed its stance that Google must break up its business, including selling its Chrome browser, to address its monopoly in the search industry. This decision follows a federal judge’s ruling last year that Google illegally abused its market power.
In a recent court filing, the Justice Department emphasized that forcing Google to sell Chrome would help stop the company from controlling a key access point to online searches.
The department stated, “Selling Chrome 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 department stated.
Restrictions on Default Search Agreements
The Justice Department also upheld a proposal from the Biden administration that aims to prevent Google from paying companies like Apple, Mozilla, and other smartphone manufacturers to make its search engine the default option on their devices and browsers. These deals have long helped Google maintain its dominance in the search market.
However, the government removed a previous requirement that would have forced Google to sell its stakes in artificial intelligence (AI) startups. This change comes after AI firm Anthropic argued that it still relies on Google’s financial support to operate. Instead of banning AI investments outright, the Justice Department now wants Google to notify federal and state officials before making any new AI-related investments.
Google, which recently committed another billion dollars to Anthropic, is expected to file its own proposal for alternative remedies. In its earlier response in December, the company pushed back against the Justice Department’s demands, arguing that they were excessive.
Google said the proposed solutions reflected an “interventionist agenda” and went “far beyond what the Court’s decision is actually about—[its] agreements with partners to distribute search.”
Instead of banning default search agreements, Google proposed a compromise: allowing it to continue paying companies like Apple and Mozilla to feature Google Search, while also permitting those companies to partner with multiple search providers. Under this model, Apple, for instance, could set different default search engines for iPhones and iPads, and browser companies could rotate search engine defaults every year.
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Implications for Big Tech and Government Policy
The Justice Department’s decision to maintain its tough stance on Google could signal how the U.S. government will handle antitrust cases under future administrations. While the Biden administration has been aggressive in regulating big tech, some experts speculate that the Trump administration may continue a similar approach despite receiving campaign donations from Google.
In recent months, Google has also faced scrutiny for halting hiring programs aimed at increasing workplace diversity. The company stated that it “no longer set hiring targets to improve representation in its workforce.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives recently subpoenaed Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and CEO Sundar Pichai, seeking documents related to communications between Google and the Biden administration regarding COVID-19 policies.
Final Decision Expected in April
Judge Amit Mehta, who originally ruled that Google acted as a monopolist and used its power to maintain its dominance, will hear arguments from both the Justice Department and Google before making a final ruling in April. The case is expected to have a significant impact on how tech companies operate and compete in the digital marketplace.