The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has demanded that Google sell its popular Chrome browser to curb the company’s alleged monopoly in online search.
This move is part of a series of remedies the DOJ proposed in a court filing late Wednesday, aimed at ending what it described as Google’s stranglehold on the digital search market.
Government lawyers also suggested banning Google from signing deals with companies like Apple and Samsung to make its search engine the default on smartphones and browsers.
Landmark Ruling Sparks Drastic Proposals
The proposals follow an August ruling by District Judge Amit Mehta, which found that Google had illegally suppressed competition in online search and advertising.
The DOJ argued that bold measures were necessary to undo the damage caused by years of anti-competitive practices.
“Restoring competition to the markets for general search and search text advertising as they exist today will require reactivating the competitive process that Google has long stifled,” the DOJ stated in its filing.
The lawsuit is supported by several US states, which claim the changes will open up a monopolized market, encouraging innovation and competition.
Google Fires Back at “Radical” DOJ Plan
Google strongly opposed the proposals, calling them an overreach that could harm users and damage America’s technological leadership.
Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, criticized the DOJ’s suggestions as extreme.
“[The] DOJ’s wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court’s decision,” Walker said.
“It would break a range of Google products — even beyond Search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives.”
Google plans to present its counter-proposals by December 20, with a final decision from Judge Mehta expected by the summer of 2025.
Chrome and Android in the Spotlight
The DOJ’s filing highlighted how Google’s control over Chrome and the Android operating system funnels users to its search engine.
Government attorneys proposed barring Google from re-entering the browser market for five years if it sells Chrome.
Additionally, they recommended court oversight of Android to ensure Google does not use its ecosystem to bolster its dominance in search and advertising.
Statcounter, a web traffic analysis platform, reports that Google’s search engine controls about 90% of global online searches.
Experts Weigh In on Monopoly Concerns
Legal and technology experts believe the proposed changes could reshape the digital search landscape.
Professor Laura Phillips-Sawyer of the University of Georgia School of Law explained how Google’s dominance stifled competition.
“The user data that Google secured because of its dominance in search helped refine Google’s search algorithm and sell text ads,” Phillips-Sawyer said.
She added that exclusive contracts with companies like Apple and Samsung block new competitors from gaining access to distribution channels.
“Without any real possibility of reaching consumers, no one will invest in such innovation,” she explained.
If the court adopts the DOJ’s recommendations, Phillips-Sawyer believes it could pave the way for new entrants to thrive in the online search market.
A Shift in US Tech Policy?
The DOJ’s case was initiated during Donald Trump’s first administration.
With Trump set to return to the White House in January, questions have arisen about whether his administration will continue supporting the lawsuit.
Rebecca Allensworth, an antitrust expert at Vanderbilt Law School, said it would be unlikely for Trump to abandon a case his administration originally filed.
“It would be odd for the second Trump administration to back off a lawsuit that they filed themselves,” Allensworth said.
She added that even if Trump wanted to drop the case, the states involved could continue to pursue it independently.
