The Justice Department is calling on Google to divest its Chrome browser, following a ruling in August that the company has a monopoly on the search market.
Chrome, which Google launched in 2008, provides the search giant with data that it then uses to target ads. The DOJ said in a filing Wednesday that forcing the company to get rid of Chrome would create a more level playing field for search competitors.
“To remedy this damage, the [Initial Proposed Final Judgment] requires Google to divest Chrome, which will permanently end Google’s control of this crucial search access point and allow competing search engines to gain access to the browser that is a gateway to the Internet for many users,” the 23-page filing said.
Additionally, the DOJ said Google may not enter into exclusionary agreements with third parties such as Apple and Samsung. The DOJ also said Google will be prohibited from prioritizing its search service within its other products.
The DOJ also said remedies should prevent Google from eliminating “emerging competitive threats through acquisitions, minority investments or partnerships.” The DOJ said the “proposed remedies have a 10-year term.” The filing also states that the search company would be required to provide a technical committee with a monthly report detailing any changes to the search text ad auction.
“The proposed remedies are intended to put an end to Google’s unlawful practices and open the market to rivals and new entrants,” the filing said.
Search advertising accounted for $49.4 billion in revenue in parent company Alphabet’s third quarter, accounting for three-quarters of total ad sales in the period.
The DOJ’s request represents the agency’s most aggressive attempt to break up a technology company since the antitrust case against Microsoft, which was settled in 2001.
In addition to its call for Google to divest Chrome, the DOJ said forcing the search company to divest its Android mobile operating system would also help restore competition, “but plaintiffs recognize that such a divestiture would pose significant can request from Google or other market participants. ”
Instead, the DOJ suggested that the other remedies should be sufficient to “weaken Google’s ability to use its control over the Android ecosystem to benefit its general search services,” and if they “ultimately fail achieve the high standards for meaningful relief in these critical cases.” markets could require the Court to reconsider the Android divestiture suggestion.
In August, a federal judge ruled that Google has a monopoly on the search market. The ruling came after the government filed its landmark case in 2020, alleging that Google controlled the general search market by creating strong barriers to entry and a feedback loop that maintained its dominance. The court ruled that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits monopolies.
Last month, the DOJ indicated it was considering a breakup of Google businesses, including possibly breaking up its Chrome, Play or Android divisions.
In addition, the DOJ proposed limiting or banning standard form agreements and “other revenue sharing arrangements relating to search and search-related products.” These include Google’s search deals with Apple on the iPhone and Samsung on its mobile devices, deals that cost the company billions of dollars a year in payouts.
Google has said it will appeal the monopoly ruling, which will draw any final decisions on legal remedies.
However, the most likely outcome, according to some legal experts, is that the court will ask Google to cancel certain exclusive agreements, such as the deal with Apple. While a breakup is unlikely, experts say, the court could ask Google to make it easier for users to access other search engines.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
