As part of the ongoing Google monopoly case, the US Department of Justice has proposed that the American giant sell the Chrome web browser and stop signing contracts with device manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung that prefer it as the default search engine (especially on US soil). In our country, due to the laws of the European Union, on new devices with the Android system, Google must provide the option of choosing between the default search engines.
The proposal is part of a crackdown on Google’s online search monopoly, bolstered by Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling in August, which found Google guilty of unlawfully suppressing competition. US states have also joined the lawsuit, which wants to limit Google’s dominance and restore the competitive environment. The ministry also wants judicial oversight of the Android operating system and a five-year ban on Google’s return to the browser market to prevent abuse of its ecosystem.
“Restoring competition in the general search and search text advertising markets as they exist today will require reactivating the competitive process that Google has long suppressed,” they wrote according to BBC magazine government lawyers.
Google criticizes the ministry’s proposals
Google criticized the ministry’s proposals as a radical intervention that would harm users and its technology leadership. In response, Google’s President of Global Affairs Kent Walker said: “The Department of Justice’s completely overbroad proposal goes far beyond the court’s decision. It would break many of Google’s services — even beyond Search, which people love and find useful in their everyday lives.”
Google has until December 20 to react and come up with its own proposals that could help ease the dominance of its browser and search engine. Judge Amit Mehta is expected to issue a final verdict by the summer of 2025.
For interest, according to Statcounter Google search engine accounts for 89.33% of all searches worldwide. The second place is held by Bing with 4.15% and the third by Yandex with 2.8%.
New president, same lawsuit
The Google vs. USA case began in the last months of Donald Trump’s first administration as US president. His re-election thus raises questions about whether the Trump administration will approach the case differently when it takes office on January 20 next year.
What search engine are you using?
Experts agree that the lawsuit will continue even if the federal government changes its stance, because the US states would then pursue the lawsuit on their own without the support of federal authorities. The proposed measures could significantly contribute to restoring competition in the online search market.
According to experts, Google’s dominance has made it difficult for new players to enter the market because the company has secured key distribution channels and data that refines its search algorithms. If Judge Mehta approves the government’s proposals, competitors, including new innovators, may have a better chance to succeed and create a more diverse user experience.
Source: www.cnews.cz
