Google Rejects DOJ Antitrust Demands, Offers Milder Search Remedy Plan
Google pushes back against the DOJ's proposal to force the sale of Chrome and Android, calling it an interventionist agenda that harms consumers. The company instead suggests giving device makers and partners more flexibility in setting default search engines.
Google submits an alternative proposal to counter the U.S. Department of Justice's demands in the ongoing antitrust case, rejecting the requirement to sell its Chrome browser and spin off Android. The company's vice president of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, criticizes the DOJ's plan as an "interventionist agenda" that extends far beyond the court's actual ruling and threatens American technology leadership.
Instead of forced divestitures, Google suggests a framework that allows the company to continue making search deals with partners like Apple and Mozilla while giving those partners more options. Under Google's plan, partners could set different default search engines across various platforms and browsing modes, and Android manufacturers would gain greater flexibility to preload multiple search engines and other Google apps independently of Google Search or Chrome.
Judge Amit Mehta plans to rule on the appropriate remedies next year following a hearing scheduled for April. While Google participates in this remedial phase, Mulholland confirms that the company fully intends to appeal the August ruling that found Google had illegally maintained its monopoly in online search.