Google's future in limbo: Department of Justice pushes for historic changes to online search

Google's parent company, Alphabet, must divest its Chrome browser, share data and search results with rivals, and possibly sell its Android operating system to restore competition in online search, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) argued in court on November 20.

These proposals, part of a landmark antitrust case in Washington, aim to dismantle Google's monopoly over online search and related advertising, where it processes approximately 90% of searches in the United States, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The DOJ's recommended measures could remain in place for up to a decade and would be enforced by a court-appointed committee.

In their court filing, DOJ and state antitrust enforcers stated, "Google's unlawful behaviour has deprived rivals not only of critical distribution channels but also distribution partners who could otherwise enable entry into these markets by competitors in new and innovative ways."

One of the key proposals is to end Google's exclusive deals with major companies, such as Apple, where Google pays billions of dollars annually to make its search engine the default on devices like smartphones and tablets. The DOJ believes these agreements hinder competition and innovation in the search market.

In response, Google criticized the proposed measures, calling them "staggering." Kent Walker, Alphabet's Chief Legal Officer, stated, "DOJ's approach would result in unprecedented government overreach that would harm American consumers, developers, and small businesses – and jeopardize America's global economic and technological leadership at precisely the moment it's needed most."

US District Judge Amit Mehta has scheduled a trial for April to consider the DOJ's proposals. However, there is the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming antitrust head could intervene and alter the direction of the case.

The DOJ’s proposals also include a five-year ban on Google re-entering the browser market and a potential forced sale of its Android operating system if other remedies fail to restore competition. The department has also requested that Google be prohibited from acquiring or investing in search rivals, query-based AI products, or advertising technology.

In addition, publishers and websites would be given the option to opt out of having their data used to train Google's AI products. A five-person technical committee, appointed by the judge, would be responsible for ensuring Google's compliance with these proposals. Google would be required to fund the committee, which would have the power to access documents, interview employees, and examine software code.

Together, these measures are intended to break what the DOJ calls a "perpetual feedback loop" that strengthens Google's dominance through user data, search traffic, and advertising revenue.

By Tamilla Hasanova