The US Department of Justice has proposed an extensive overhaul of Google’s structure and practices in an attempt to end its monopoly on internet search. This comes after a federal judge ruled in August that Google maintained an illegal monopoly over search services. The proposals include the sale of the Chrome browser, a ban on entering the browser market for five years, and divestment of the Android mobile operating system if initial measures do not work. The DoJ also wants Google to give publishers the ability to block their data from being used for AI models and make its search index available to rivals.
These proposals will be considered by the same judge who presided over the ruling, Amit Mehta, with a hearing set for April next year. Google is expected to propose its own remedies as well. The DoJ emphasized the need to restore competition in a search market dominated by Google, stating that “The playing field is not level because of Google’s conduct.” Google controls approximately 90% of the online search market and more than 50% of the US browser market through Chrome.
Google’s president of global affairs called the proposed remedies extreme and warned of potential harm to American consumers and businesses. The case also comes under the new administration, with President-elect Joe Biden’s stance on the issue being a factor to consider. Although brought forth by the Trump administration, Biden has made comments suggesting skepticism toward breaking up Google. However, he has also expressed concerns about the fairness of Google’s search results. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the tech industry and competition in the online search market.
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