U.S. prosecutors have told a judge that Alphabet Inc.’s Google should take steps to end its monopoly on Internet search by selling off its Chrome browser and sharing data and search results with competitors.
This would result in a decade of heightened regulation for Google, as ruled by a Washington federal court that found the company maintained an illegal monopoly on online search and related advertising.
Google currently controls about 90% of the online search market.
In a court filing, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) stated, “Google’s illegal conduct not only deprived competitors of important distribution channels but also hindered their entry into these markets through new and innovative ways, eliminating potential distribution partners.”
The recently filed court papers further detail the U.S. government’s plan to break Google’s monopoly, which Google considers radical and harmful to American consumers and businesses.
Google intends to appeal the proposal.
The Justice Department’s demands include prohibiting Google from rejoining the browser market for five years and potentially requiring the sale of its Android mobile OS if competition is not restored through other means.
Additionally, the department seeks to prevent Google from acquiring or investing in search rivals, query-based artificial intelligence products, or advertising technology.
The Justice Department and a group of states have asked U.S. District Judge Amit to terminate Google’s exclusive contracts paying Apple and other device vendors to make its search engine the default option on tablets and smartphones.
Google will have an opportunity to present its counterproposal in December, with a trial scheduled for April, subject to potential interference by President-elect Donald Trump and the Justice Department’s incoming antitrust chief.
Source: www.theguardian.com
