Washington D.C. – Tech giant Google could face significant restrictions on its flagship products, including the Chrome browser, Play Store, and Android operating system, after a ruling from the U.S. Justice Department. The announcement comes after an August court decision found the company had violated antitrust laws to maintain its dominance in online search.
In a court filing, Justice Department officials outlined a series of proposals aimed at dismantling Google’s monopoly, with one key measure seeking to prevent the company from paying other tech firms to pre-install its search engine as the default option on new devices. In 2021, Google reportedly paid more than $26 billion to companies like Apple for this practice, ensuring its search engine was the default for millions of users worldwide.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department emphasized the need for long-term measures to curb Google’s market control. “Fully remedying these harms requires not only ending Google’s control of distribution today, but also ensuring Google cannot control the distribution of tomorrow,” the spokesperson said.
Google responded to the filing by confirming it would appeal the decision. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, criticized the proposed changes, calling them “radical” and accusing the U.S. government of pursuing a “sweeping agenda that will impact numerous industries and products.”
Mulholland argued that implementing these changes could risk user privacy and security, hinder the development of Google’s artificial intelligence products, and cause significant disruptions to software like Android. She warned that such actions could have broad repercussions beyond the search engine market, affecting various aspects of the tech ecosystem.
This legal action follows earlier reports that U.S. officials were preparing to tackle Google’s monopoly power. The latest proposals mark a significant step in those efforts, as the government seeks to limit Google’s influence across the technology sector.
In a separate legal case, a judge ruled that Google must allow greater competition in its app store. Judge James Donato’s decision requires the tech company to make Android apps available from rival sources and prohibits Google from mandating its own payment system for apps on the Play Store. This ruling could further erode Google’s control over its app ecosystem, encouraging more competition in the app marketplace.
With legal challenges mounting, the outcomes of these cases could significantly reshape the landscape for both Google and the broader tech industry.