• Federal prosecutors propose forcing Google to sell Chrome and possibly Android to remedy its search monopoly.

• The proposals include ending paid agreements with Apple and opening Google’s search data to competitors for a decade.

• The case is the most significant tech antitrust effort since the Microsoft breakup attempt in 2000.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and several states have asked a federal court to impose sweeping changes on Google to address what they call an illegal monopoly in online search, according to a report in The New York Times.

• Central to the government’s proposal is the forced sale of Chrome, the dominant web browser, which integrates tightly with Google’s search engine.

• The DOJ also proposed requiring Google to either divest Android, its mobile operating system or restrict its ability to mandate pre-installed Google apps on Android devices.

The measures come in response to a ruling in August by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who found that Google unlawfully maintained its dominance in search and related advertising, Reuters reported. Judge Mehta ordered the parties to submit remedies, with the government filing its recommendations by the November 20 deadline.

Addressing Google’s Market Power

Google controls approximately 90% of search queries in the U.S., with its search engine bundled into both Chrome, which dominates 67% of the browser market, and Android, which powers 71% of global smartphones. 

• The DOJ alleges that this dominance stems from anti-competitive practices, such as paid agreements to make Google the default search engine on devices and browsers like Apple’s Safari.

• Prosecutors argue that such practices have blocked competitors from gaining market share. 

• They propose requiring Google to stop paying for these default positions and to allow rival search engines to access its data and display its results for a decade.

Judge Mehta will weigh arguments from both sides next spring, with a ruling expected by the end of the summer. 

Google, which plans to file its own remedy proposals by December 20, is likely to push for less drastic measures.

Possible Implications

If the proposals are adopted, they could reshape competition in technology markets, mirroring the DOJ’s attempt to split Microsoft in 2000. 

However, some legal experts are skeptical about the feasibility of breaking up Google’s business units. Doug Melamed, a former DOJ official, noted that forcing a sale of Chrome could face significant legal challenges.

Broader Antitrust Efforts

The DOJ’s case against Google is part of a broader crackdown on Big Tech’s dominance. 

The Justice Department has also sued Google over its advertising technology practices, while the Federal Trade Commission has pursued cases against Amazon and Meta for alleged anti-competitive behavior.

Google Rejects ‘Extreme’ Measures

Google has rejected the proposals, calling them extreme. Kent Walker, the company’s president of global affairs, criticized the government’s approach as overbroad and interventionist. 

• “DOJ had a chance to propose remedies related to the issue in this case: search distribution - agreements with Apple, Mozilla, smartphone OEMs, and wireless carriers,” Walker wrote in a blog post.

• “Instead, DOJ chose to push a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership. DOJ’s wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court’s decision. It would break a range of Google products — even beyond Search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives,” he said.

Walker warned that the measures would harm consumers, small businesses, and developers while undermining America’s global technological leadership.