U.S. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Cantor speaks during a press conference about the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment as Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O’Monaco hold a press conference at the Department of Justice on May 23 in Washington. Looking during 2024. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

Ken Cedino | Reuters

The Justice Department is demanding that Google scrap its Chrome browser, after ruling in August that the company monopolized the search market.

Chrome, which was launched by Google in 2008, provides data to the search giant which it then uses to target ads. The DOJ said In the filing on Wednesday that forcing the company to get rid of Chrome would create a more level playing field for search rivals.

“To remedy these damages, (the preliminary proposed final decision) requires Google to remove Chrome, which would permanently cease Google’s control over this key search access point and give rival search engines access to the browser.” will allow a gateway for many users to the Internet,” the 23-page filing reads.

Additionally, the DOJ asked that Google be barred from entering into external agreements with third parties such as Apple and Samsung. The DOJ also asked that Google be prohibited from prioritizing its search service over its other products.

The DOJ also said the remedy should prevent Google from “eliminating emerging competitive threats through acquisitions, minority investments, or partnerships.” “The proposed remedies last for a period of 10 years,” the DOJ said. The filing also said the search company would be required to provide a technical committee with a monthly report outlining any changes to its search text ad auctions.

“The proposed remedies are designed to end Google’s unlawful practices and open the market to competitors and new entrants,” the filing reads.

Search advertising generated $49.4 billion in parent company Alphabet’s third-quarter revenue, representing three-quarters of total ad sales in the period.

The DOJ’s request represents the agency’s most aggressive effort to crack down on the tech company since the antitrust lawsuit against it. MicrosoftThat was settled in 2001.

In addition to requiring Google to divest Chrome, the DOJ said that forcing the search company to divest its Android mobile operating system would also help restore competition, “but the plaintiffs acknowledge that this Such a distribution could lead to significant objections from Google or other market participants.”

Instead, the DOJ suggested that other remedies “must be sufficient to eliminate Google’s ability to exercise its control over the Android ecosystem in favor of its general search services” and if they “ultimately meet these critical circumstances.” Failing to meet the high standards for meaningful relief, the Court may require a reversal of the Android divestiture proposal.

In August, a federal judge ruled that Google Monopolizes the search market. The order came after the government filed its landmark lawsuit in 2020, alleging that Google maintained its dominance by creating steep barriers to entry and controlling a feedback loop. The court found that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which outlaws monopolies.

Last month, the DOJ indicated it was considering breaking up Google’s businesses, including possibly breaking up its Chrome, Play or Android divisions.

Additionally, the DOJ proposed limiting or prohibiting default agreements and “other revenue sharing arrangements related to exploration and exploration-related products.” That would include Google’s search arrangements with Apple for the iPhone and Samsung’s search on its mobile devices, deals that pay the company billions of dollars a year.

Google has said it will appeal the antitrust ruling, which would rule out any final remedy.

However, according to some legal experts, the most likely outcome is that the court will ask Google to terminate certain agreements, similar to its agreement with Apple. When a crackdown is unlikely, the court could ask Google to make it easier for users to access other search engines, experts said.

Look: What the DOJ’s focus on Google means for the tech company

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