US Government Calls for Breakup of Google and Chrome

AFP/APP

Washington: The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested a court order to dismantle Google by requiring the sale of its widely used Chrome browser. This marks a significant escalation in antitrust action against the tech giant.

In its court filing, the DOJ also proposed prohibiting deals that make Google the default search engine on smartphones and restricting the company’s use of its Android operating system to maintain market dominance. Officials suggested that if these remedies fail, Google might also need to divest Android.

Landmark Antitrust Shift

This case represents a major departure from previous US regulatory approaches, which have largely avoided breaking up tech giants since the Microsoft case two decades ago. Google, which has criticized the proposed breakup as “radical,” plans to file recommendations next month, with hearings set for April before US District Court Judge Amit Mehta.

Political Implications

The case could face upheaval with the upcoming Trump administration, as a new DOJ antitrust team could either continue, settle, or abandon the case. Trump’s stance on big tech remains ambiguous; while he has accused Google of bias against conservative content, he has also questioned the feasibility of dismantling such companies.

The trial concluded last year, with Judge Mehta ruling Google a monopoly due to confidential agreements with manufacturers like Apple. These agreements secured Google’s dominance by making its search engine the default on browsers and devices, giving it unrivaled access to user data.

The ruling highlighted Google’s 90% share of the US online search market and 95% on mobile devices as of 2020. This dominance enabled the company to expand into products like Chrome, Maps, and Android.

A Turning Point

The Biden administration’s aggressive stance against big tech has led to five antitrust cases, targeting Google, Amazon, Meta, and Apple. If the Trump administration continues these cases, they could take years to litigate, potentially reaching the Supreme Court.

Industry leaders like Adam Kovacevich of the Chamber of Progress have dismissed the DOJ’s demands as “fantastical,” advocating for more narrowly tailored solutions. Regardless of the outcome, this case signals a pivotal moment in the US government’s efforts to regulate tech giants.