U.S. Justice Department's Push for Google to Divest Chrome
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly preparing to request a federal judge to mandate Alphabet Inc.'s Google to divest its Chrome browser. This move is part of a broader antitrust initiative aimed at curbing what the DOJ perceives as Google's monopolistic practices in the online search market. Let‘s delves into the details of the DOJ's plans, the implications for Google, and the potential impact on the tech industry and consumers.
Background
The DOJ's action against Google is rooted in a federal court ruling from August 2023, where Judge Amit Mehta found that Google had illegally monopolized the search market. This ruling followed a 10-week trial that scrutinized Google's business practices, particularly its dominance in online search and search text ads markets.
DOJ's Proposed Remedies
The DOJ's proposed remedies are multifaceted. They include: