The DOJ’s Latest Proposal Still Demands that Google Divest Chrome But Permits AI Investments

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) remains firm in its demand that Google sell its Chrome web browser, according to a court filing on Friday.

Initially proposed under President Biden’s administration, the DOJ has upheld this plan under the second Trump administration. However, the department has softened its stance on Google’s artificial intelligence investments, no longer insisting on divestment, including its significant funding of Anthropic.

DOJ Criticizes Google’s Market Dominance in Antitrust Filing

“Google’s illegal conduct has created an economic goliath, one that wreaks havoc over the marketplace to ensure that—no matter what occurs—Google always wins,” the DOJ stated in the filing, which was signed by Omeed Assefi, the department’s acting antitrust attorney general. Trump’s nominee for the DOJ’s antitrust division is still awaiting confirmation.

Despite modifications to its AI-related demands, the DOJ has kept the “core components” of its initial proposal, which include requiring Google to divest Chrome and banning search-related payments to distribution partners.

Regarding AI, the DOJ now seeks “prior notification for future investments” rather than forcing Google to sell off its AI holdings. As for Android, rather than an immediate divestiture, the DOJ has left the decision to the court, depending on future market conditions.

Google Appeals Antitrust Ruling Amid Ongoing Legal Battle

This proposal follows antitrust lawsuits from the DOJ and 38 state attorneys general, which led Judge Amit P. Mehta to rule that Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search. While Google intends to appeal, it has proposed an alternative solution that it claims would address the court’s concerns while maintaining flexibility for its business partners.

A Google spokesperson told Reuters that the DOJ’s proposal “goes miles beyond the Court’s decision and would harm America’s consumers, economy, and national security.”

Mehta is set to hear arguments from Google and the DOJ in April.

Read the original article: TechCrunch

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