US Justice Department wants to drive Google out of the browser market

The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) and several states have proposed removal of internet search giant Google from the browser market in order to dismantle its monopolistic way of operating. 

The petitioners had, among other things, suggested that the tech giant be forced to sell its Chrome web browser and bar it from entering the browser business for the next five years.

While the DoJ diluted its original proposal that Google sell off its Android operating system, limiting the final proposal to the sale of its Chrome browser, it has made other demands like placing restrictions that would force Google itself out of the Android operating system.

The proposals follow a US District Court of Columbia ruling in August, this year, which indicted Google of monopolising the browser market through illegal contracts with device makers like Apple and Samsung.

Google has been accused of paying billions of dollars annually to these gadget makers to use its Android search engine to power their smartphones and web browsers.

District Judge Amit Mehta had ruled that Google has been a monopolist and continued to remain that way by fostering its Android tie-up with browser makers.

The judge had asked DoJ and the states that filed the anti-trust petition to submit specific solutions to remedy Google’s monopolistic ways of functioning.

DoJ and the states of California, Colorado, New Jersey and New York had filed the petition in 2020 over illegal payment of billions of dollars to device makers like Apple and Samsung to legitimise Google’s monopoly in the browser market.

DoJ wants to restrict Google from making payments to third parties for making its search engine the default option on their devices. 

Besides, the DoJ wants Google to be more transparent with advertisers and also give them the option to get their advertisements out of Google’ AI model training sessions.

Google has argued that such extreme and radical measures would endanger the privacy of US citizens.

Judge Mehta will again be hearing the proposals that would help decapacitate Google and blunt its monopolistic edge.

If the judge rules against Google, the search giant is sure to move upper courts challenging the district court ruling.