by Key Takeaways
The Justice Department is suggesting a number of actions, including the sale of Chrome, to settle an antitrust ruling against Google.
Other suggestions include stopping payments to firms such as Apple and allowing other companies to access search data.
Although the court’s ultimate decision is not expected until September 2025, Google is submitting its own recommendations in December.
In order to resolve search monopoly charges, the US Department of Justice is suggesting that Google sell up its Chrome browser, among other remedies.
According to 9to5Google, the Justice Department wants Chrome sold to a bidder who has been approved by the plaintiffs in the current antitrust action, subject to terms that have been granted by the court and the plaintiffs. This confirms previous accounts. Furthermore, while verdicts are pending, Google would not be permitted to release any more browsers—at least not without the court’s consent.
The government believes Google cannot offer itself preferential access to Android or first-party apps and data in comparison to what it permits for other search and AI products, but it is not yet advocating for Google to spin off its mobile operating system, Android. Similarly, the Justice Department believes third parties should not be able to meddle with Google Search, Google text ads, or AI technologies like Gemini on Android devices. According to the DoJ, Google may sell off Android if it believes it cannot adhere to those regulations.
Stopping Google from compensating Apple and other businesses in a way that deters them from creating their own search engines and advertisements is another important suggestion. It is estimated that Google paid Apple over $20 billion in 2022 alone to keep Safari’s primary search engine, which increased ad views and clicks.
Last but not least, the Justice Department recommends that Google grant new competitors access to its search and ad data for ten years and give site and content creators the option to opt out if they do not want their content to be utilized for AI training or otherwise indexed for search.
In a blog post, Google has previously referred to the government measures as “staggering” and “wildly overboard,” arguing that they would compromise the quality of its products and pose a security risk because they would necessitate sharing data with several domestic and international businesses. Additionally, the article warns of government “micromanagement” of Google and its users and claims that Google payments assist certain businesses, such as Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox browser.
The Justice Department’s recommendations are subject to change, though, as Google plans to submit its own concepts in December. The case judge’s ultimate ruling is not expected until September 2025, and the DoJ will file another filing in March before a court hearing in April.
