Late Wednesday, the US government sought a judge to mandate Google’s dismantling by selling its widely used Chrome browser as part of a massive antitrust assault on the internet giant.
In a court brief, the US Department of Justice recommended a shake-up of Google’s business, including prohibiting partnerships for Google to be the default search engine on cellphones and forbidding it from leveraging its Android mobile operating system.
According to the document, antitrust regulators believe Google should be forced to sell Android if offered remedies do not prevent the tech corporation from exploiting its hold over the mobile operating system.
The US government has called for the dismantling of Google, marking a significant change in the country’s antitrust crackdown. The US Department of Justice has urged a shake-up of Google’s business, including banning deals for Google to be the default search engine on smartphones and preventing it from exploiting its Android mobile operating system.
Both sides are expected to make their case at a hearing in April before US District Court Judge Amit Mehta. Regardless of Judge Mehta’s eventual decision, Google is expected to appeal the ruling, potentially leaving the final say to the US Supreme Court.
The case could also be upended by the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House in January. His administration is likely to replace the current team in charge of the DOJ’s antitrust division. The newcomers could choose to carry on with the case, ask for a settlement with Google, or abandon the case altogether.
Trump has criticized Google for bias against conservative content and signaled that a forced break-up of the company would be too large a demand by the US government.
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Source: NDTV
