DOJ Proposes Google Breakup To Restore Competition

The Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted a proposal recommending actions for the court to enforce in order to dismantle Google’s monopoly on internet search.

The DOJ’s proposals follow a lawsuit in which a judge ruled earlier this year that Google’s behavior breached US competition laws and constituted a monopoly.

In October, the DOJ hinted at requesting Google’s breakup due to the ruling.

In its official proposal to the courts, the DOJ recommends that Google cease engaging in exclusionary agreements with third parties (e.g., pre-installing Google Chrome by default on devices), stop prioritizing Google’s services across its products, and share user search data with competitors.

The proposal also calls for Google to divest from Chrome, leave the browser market for five years, and cease investments in search rivals and certain AI-powered advertising technologies.

If these remedies fail to restore competition, the DOJ suggests that Google sell its Android mobile operating system.

The DOJ further recommends establishing a five-person technical committee to oversee and enforce these changes over the next decade. It proposes that Google cover the committee’s expenses and provide full access to its internal operations.

In a blog post, Google responded to the DOJ’s proposal, claiming the measures “would hurt consumers and America’s global technological leadership.” It argued that the “wildly overbroad proposal significantly exceeds the Court’s decision,” jeopardizing user privacy and security while undermining investment in innovative technologies.

Google plans to submit its own proposals next month in response to the court’s ruling.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has scheduled a trial on the proposals for April. However, as this falls after the incoming administration takes office and a new DOJ head is in place, the case’s direction may shift.