The US Justice Department has reportedly decided to ask the judge to force Google in selling its Google Chrome Browser in the Google Search monopoly case that was already going against the company. It would be one of the biggest crackdowns ever in the history of the tech company.
The report that comes from Bloomberg suggests that the Justice Department plans to request the judge, who ruled in August that Google unlawfully monopolized the search market, to impose measures addressing artificial intelligence and the Android smartphone operating system.
According to the report, Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, said the Justice Department “continues to push a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case.” She added, “the government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed.”
As to why the department wants Google Chrome browser to be sold off, the report states that it is “because it represents a key access point through which many people use its search engine.” The government can choose to mandate a Chrome sale at a later stage if other proposed remedies successfully foster a more competitive market.
“Government attorneys met with dozens of companies over the past three months as they prepared the recommendation. States are still considering adding some proposals and some details could change,” the report adds.
It also states that the antitrust officials pulled back from a more severe option that would have forced Google to sell off Android.
Aside from the proposed Google Chrome browser sale, the agency and the states have also settled on recommending that Google be required to license the results and data from its popular search engine and give websites more options to prevent their content from being included in Google’s artificial intelligence products, even for training purposes.
Antitrust enforcers further plan to propose that Google should separate its Android smartphone operating system from its other products, such as Google Search and the Google Play App store, which are currently bundled together. They also intend to push for requirements that Google should share more data with advertisers and provide them greater control over ad placements.
The judge has set a two-week hearing in April next year on what changes Google must make to remedy the illegal behavior and plans to issue a final ruling by August 2025. Google plans to appeal.