Google could lose Chrome as the DOJ doubles down on its antitrust demands

The US Division of Justice (DOJ) is as soon as once more pushing for Google to promote its Chrome browser, a key a part of its sprawling tech empire. The demand, first made in November 2024, is a part of a broader effort to curb Google’s dominance in on-line search and stage the enjoying subject for rivals.

The DOJ’s newest submitting, as reported by The New York Occasions, reiterates its stance that Google should divest Chrome, a browser utilized by tens of millions as their main gateway to the web. The division argues that promoting Chrome would “completely cease Google’s management of this essential search entry level” and provides rival search engines like google and yahoo a good shot at reaching customers.

This isn’t the solely change the DOJ is looking for. The company additionally desires to ban Google from paying firms like Apple, smartphone producers, and Mozilla to make its search engine the default choice on their units and browsers. The DOJ claims this observe has allowed Google to take care of an unlawful monopoly in on-line search, as dominated by Decide Amit P. Mehta of the US District Court docket for the District of Columbia final 12 months.

Apparently, the DOJ has dropped one earlier proposal: forcing Google to promote its stakes in AI startups. This comes after Anthropic, an AI firm backed by Google, informed the authorities it depends on Google’s funding to remain afloat.

Huge Tech beneath hearth

What makes this case notably intriguing is the bipartisan nature of the crackdown on Google. The DOJ’s newest submitting alerts that the Trump administration is following in the footsteps of the Biden administration, which initially proposed the sweeping modifications.

“Google’s unlawful conduct has created an financial goliath, one which wreaks havoc over the market to make sure that — it doesn’t matter what happens — Google all the time wins,” the DOJ stated in its submitting. “The American folks thus are pressured to simply accept the unbridled demands and shifting, ideological preferences of an financial leviathan in return for a search engine the public might take pleasure in.”

Google, for its half, isn’t backing down. The tech big has argued that the DOJ’s demands are extreme and replicate an “interventionist agenda.” In its personal proposal, Google prompt permitting it to proceed paying companions like Apple and Mozilla to supply Google Search as the default choice, whereas additionally letting these companions type agreements with rival search engines like google and yahoo. For instance, Apple could provide completely different default search engines like google and yahoo for iPhones and iPads, and browser firms could change default search engines like google and yahoo each 12 months.

What’s subsequent

Decide Mehta will hear each side’ arguments in April earlier than deciding on the closing treatments. If the DOJ will get its approach, it could imply a basic reshaping of how Google operates — and the way tens of millions of individuals expertise the web.