The US Department of Justice officially filed a request to the court on Wednesday, urging federal judges to force the sale of Google's Chrome web browser. Previously, Google had been ruled that its search business violated US antitrust laws.
The US Department of Justice stated in a document that in order to compensate for the damage caused by Google's monopoly, the US government is demanding that Google divest Chrome, which will end Google's control over this critical search access point and allow competing search engines to access the browser as well.
In addition, Google is also required not to enter into exclusive agreements with third parties such as Apple and Samsung, nor to provide search service priority in other products. The remedial measures proposed by the US Department of Justice also include preventing Google from eliminating emerging competitive threats through acquisitions, minority investments, or partnerships, with a statute of limitations of up to ten years.
The US Department of Justice expects Google to provide a monthly report to the technical committee outlining any changes to its search ad auctions.
At the same time, the US Department of Justice is considering splitting Google's Android division and Google Play app store. The Ministry of Justice hopes that judges can provide Google with two options: either to sell the Android system, or to prohibit Google from forcing users to use its services on Android phones.
If Google subsequently violates these terms, or if remedial measures fail to improve the competitive situation, the Department of Justice may force Google to sell the Android system in the future.
The worst outcome
For Google, selling Chrome would be one of the worst punishments in its business development. The browser was launched in 2008 and is one of the most popular browsers in the world. According to Statcounter, a technology market data statistics agency, Chrome browser occupies 67% of the global browser market share.
Statcounter also pointed out that Android is the most popular mobile device operating system globally, accounting for approximately 71% of the market share. Although it is an open source system that does not charge usage fees, most Android devices come with Google's applications, creating a continuous stream of revenue for it.
Both are part of Google's carefully designed ecosystem, ensuring that Google products continue to be accepted and recognized by consumers. Therefore, Google strongly disagrees with the proposal made by the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday.
Google believes that the current proposal from the US Department of Justice is too radical and warns that it will harm consumers and businesses. As Trump is about to officially take office as the President of the United States in January next year, some speculate that this may change the proposed policy submitted by the Department of Justice in March next year.
Wednesday's proposal is the first complete proposal from the US Department of Justice on how to mitigate the damage caused by Google's illegal monopoly, and Google will submit its own opinions for the court's reference next month. The Ministry of Justice plans to revise its viewpoint again in March next year, and then both sides will hold a two-week hearing in April. The judge is expected to make a final ruling by the end of next summer.
Legal experts also believe that the wishes of the Ministry of Justice may not be easily achieved. Due to the lessons learned from the 2000 anti-monopoly case of Microsoft's search business Internet Explorer, experts believe that the demand for forced sale of Chrome may be doubted by judges.