Google May Have to Sell Chrome Browser To Comply With DOJ Ruling via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has projected that Google merchantability its Chrome web browser and perchance the Android mobile operating system.

This proposition is portion of a larger effort to code the company’s alleged monopoly successful online search.

In a 23-page brief submitted to the U.S. District Court successful Washington D.C., the DOJ outlined extended measures to dismantle what it claims are Google’s amerciable monopolies successful wide hunt services and hunt substance advertising.

DOJ Seeks Divestiture of Chrome & Possibly Android

The DOJ’s connection centers connected the divestiture of the Chrome browser, which the bureau claims has strengthened Google’s dominance successful the hunt market.

The DOJ wrote successful its filing:

“To code these challenges, Google indispensable divest Chrome, which has ‘fortified [Google’s] dominance,’ truthful that rivals whitethorn prosecute organisation partnerships that this ‘realit[y] of control’ contiguous prevents.”

The DOJ suggested that Google should merchantability the Android mobile operating strategy if behavioral remedies to forestall self-preferencing practices bash not reconstruct competition.

However, the DOJ acknowledged that the divestiture of Android “may gully important objections from Google oregon different marketplace participants.”

In summation to the structural breakup, the DOJ is seeking a scope of behaviour remedies, including:

• Prohibiting Google from entering into exclusivity agreements
• Banning self-preferencing of its hunt products
• Mandating information sharing with rivals
• Establishing a Technical Committee to show compliance.

The projected judgement would stay successful effect for 10 years.

Google Responds To DOJ’s Proposal

Google swiftly condemned the DOJ’s proposal, calling it a “radical interventionist agenda” that would harm innovation and America’s planetary exertion leadership.

In a blog post, Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs, said the remedies would:

“.. interruption a scope of Google products — adjacent beyond Search — that radical emotion and find adjuvant successful their mundane lives.”

Walker adds:

“DOJ’s attack would effect successful unprecedented authorities overreach that would harm American consumers, developers, and tiny businesses — and jeopardize America’s planetary economical and technological enactment astatine precisely the infinitesimal it’s needed most.”

Google raises the pursuing concerns astir the DOJ’s plan:

• It would necessitate disclosing users’ idiosyncratic hunt queries to “unknown overseas and home companies.”
• It could endanger information and privateness by forcing the merchantability of Chrome and Android
• It whitethorn “chill” concern successful artificial quality wherever Google is simply a leader.

Next Steps

The caller tribunal filings are portion of the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit against Google, which started successful October 2020 with assistance from respective authorities attorneys.

In September, Judge Amit Mehta recovered that Google had breached antitrust laws to support its hunt and hunt advertizing monopolies. This ruling volition pb to a signifier wherever solutions to reconstruct contention volition beryllium discussed.

Both sides are expected to contiguous elaborate proposals for these solutions successful the coming months, with a proceeding planned for adjacent year.

The result could importantly impact Google’s concern exemplary and the online advertizing market.

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