The U.S. Department of Justice is urging Google to divest its Chrome browser as part of its proposed final remedy in a significant antitrust case.
The proposal, submitted on Friday afternoon, states that Google must “promptly and completely divest Chrome, along with any associated assets or services necessary for a successful divestiture, to a buyer approved by the Plaintiffs solely at their discretion, subject to terms that both the Court and Plaintiffs endorse.” Additionally, it would require Google to cease compensating partners for providing preferential treatment to its search engine.
The DOJ also insists that Google must notify them in advance of any new joint ventures, collaborations, or partnerships with companies that rival Google in search or search text ads. However, the requirement for Google to divest its artificial intelligence investments, included in the initial recommendations put forth by the plaintiffs last November, has been removed. The company will still be obligated to inform the DOJ of future AI investments beforehand.
“Due to its massive size and unchecked power, Google has deprived consumers and businesses of a basic promise owed to the public—their right to select from competing services,” the DOJ statement accompanying the filing asserts. “Google’s unlawful behavior has created an economic giant, one that disrupts the marketplace to ensure that—regardless of circumstances—Google always emerges victorious.”
The DOJ officially filed its case against Google in 2020, marking the most significant technology antitrust case since its prolonged conflict with Microsoft during the 1990s. The lawsuit claimed that Google utilized anti-competitive strategies to safeguard its search superiority and established contracts that guaranteed it remains the default search engine on web browsers and smartphones. The lawsuit alleged that this dominance in search enables Google to manipulate the auction system for ad sales, allowing it to raise prices for advertisers and generate increased revenue.
Google contends that its substantial success in search—holding nearly a 90 percent share of the U.S. market—results from providing superior search technology. The company also argues that consumers can effortlessly switch their default search engines and that it faces competition from Microsoft and other players.
“The sweeping proposals from the DOJ extend far beyond the court’s ruling and would negatively impact American consumers, the economy, and national security,” stated Google spokesperson Peter Schottenfels in a written statement.
This case proceeded to trial in 2023, and in August 2024, U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia, Amit Mehta, ruled that Google has maintained an illegal monopoly, both in general search and general search text ads.
Much of the ruling focused on the agreements Google has with device manufacturers and browser partners that designate Google as their default search technology. Judge Mehta noted that approximately 70 percent of search queries in the U.S. occur through platforms where Google is the default search engine. Google then shares its revenues with these partners, paying out billions, which discourages smaller search competitors unable to contend with such agreements, Mehta stated.
