The US Department of Justice remains to be calling for Google to promote its net browser Chrome, in accordance with a Friday courtroom submitting.
The DOJ first proposed that Google ought to promote Chrome final yr, below then-President Joe Biden, but it surely appears to be sticking with that plan below the second Trump administration. The division is, nonetheless, now not calling for the corporate to divest all its investments in synthetic intelligence, together with the billions Google has poured into Anthropic.
“Google’s unlawful conduct has created an financial goliath, one which wreaks havoc over the
market to make sure that — it doesn’t matter what happens — Google at all times wins,” the DOJ mentioned in a submitting signed by Omeed Assefi, its present appearing lawyer normal for antitrust. (Trump’s nominee to steer antitrust for the DOJ nonetheless awaits affirmation.)
For that purpose, the DOJ mentioned it hasn’t modified the “core elements” of its preliminary proposal, together with the divestment of Chrome and a prohibition on search-related funds to distribution companions.
On AI, the DOJ mentioned it’s now not calling for “the obligatory divestiture of Google’s AI investments” and can as a substitute be glad with “prior notification for future investments.” It additionally mentioned that as a substitute of giving Google the choice to divest Android now, it’s going to depart a future choice as much as the courtroom, relying on whether or not the market turns into extra aggressive.
This proposal follows antitrust fits filed by the DOJ and 38 state attorneys normal, main Judge Amit P. Mehta to rule that Google acted illegally to keep up a monopoly in on-line search. Google has mentioned it’s going to enchantment Mehta’s choice, however within the meantime provided another proposal that it mentioned would handle his issues by offering companions with extra flexibility.
A Google spokesperson instructed Reuters that the DOJ’s “”sweeping proposals proceed to go miles past the Court’s choice, and would hurt America’s shoppers, financial system and nationwide safety.”
Mehta is scheduled to listen to arguments from each Google and the DOJ in April.
