DOJ Seeks Court Order to Force Google Chrome Sale in Antitrust Case
23 April 2025 路 Uncategorized 路
Facing an unprecedented survival threat鈥攁 potential forced sale of Chrome, restructuring of search default agreements, and a possible breakup of its $31 billion advertising business鈥攇lobal tech giant Google is grappling with the fallout from antitrust rulings. On April 17th (EDT), U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google violated antitrust laws in two markets: ad technology platforms and servers used by websites for selling ads, according to reports. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed three core measures as a significant penalty for its monopolistic behavior: the forced sale of Chrome, termination of agreements securing default search status on smartphones, and mandated data access for competitors.
Last week鈥檚 antitrust case loss regarding digital advertising tools further compounded Google's challenges; Judge Brinkema ruled that Google violated antitrust laws in these same two markets鈥攁d tech platforms and servers鈥攔aising the risk of a $31 billion ad business breakup. These proposed remedies directly target the core of Google鈥檚 business model, as demonstrated by last year鈥檚 trial revealing annual payments exceeding $20 billion to Apple to ensure its search engine is Safari's default browser.
During Monday鈥檚 hearing, David Dahlquist, lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, stated: "We are at a turning point. The court has an opportunity to correct the contemporary internet monopoly and restore competition for decades." Conversely, John Schmidtlein of Google argued that these proposed remedies were essentially wish lists from competitors and would harm rather than promote competition.
Despite potential impacts stemming from antitrust cases involving digital ad tools, the advertising network department鈥檚 $30.4 billion in revenue during 2024 represents only approximately 11% of Google's total advertisement income, suggesting its core business model may remain stable even with a breakup.
The case originated during Trump鈥檚 first term when the DOJ and attorneys general from 52 states jointly sued Google over payments to technology peers like Apple and Samsung to secure default search status on phones. This is considered the most significant antitrust battle since Microsoft's in the '90s, reflecting bipartisan opposition against Google鈥檚 practices.
This regulatory action forms part of a broader storm impacting Silicon Valley giants: Meta faces Federal Trade Commission (FTC) litigation over Instagram and WhatsApp; Apple confronts DOJ charges regarding user lock-in ecosystems; and Amazon is slated to begin its FTC case in September. Analysts suggest that if Meta loses its antitrust suit, the digital advertising landscape could change drastically within five years.
CMt: The text has been restructured for improved flow and clarity while maintaining all original information.
Last week鈥檚 antitrust case loss regarding digital advertising tools further compounded Google's challenges; Judge Brinkema ruled that Google violated antitrust laws in these same two markets鈥攁d tech platforms and servers鈥攔aising the risk of a $31 billion ad business breakup. These proposed remedies directly target the core of Google鈥檚 business model, as demonstrated by last year鈥檚 trial revealing annual payments exceeding $20 billion to Apple to ensure its search engine is Safari's default browser.
During Monday鈥檚 hearing, David Dahlquist, lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, stated: "We are at a turning point. The court has an opportunity to correct the contemporary internet monopoly and restore competition for decades." Conversely, John Schmidtlein of Google argued that these proposed remedies were essentially wish lists from competitors and would harm rather than promote competition.
Despite potential impacts stemming from antitrust cases involving digital ad tools, the advertising network department鈥檚 $30.4 billion in revenue during 2024 represents only approximately 11% of Google's total advertisement income, suggesting its core business model may remain stable even with a breakup.
The case originated during Trump鈥檚 first term when the DOJ and attorneys general from 52 states jointly sued Google over payments to technology peers like Apple and Samsung to secure default search status on phones. This is considered the most significant antitrust battle since Microsoft's in the '90s, reflecting bipartisan opposition against Google鈥檚 practices.
This regulatory action forms part of a broader storm impacting Silicon Valley giants: Meta faces Federal Trade Commission (FTC) litigation over Instagram and WhatsApp; Apple confronts DOJ charges regarding user lock-in ecosystems; and Amazon is slated to begin its FTC case in September. Analysts suggest that if Meta loses its antitrust suit, the digital advertising landscape could change drastically within five years.
CMt: The text has been restructured for improved flow and clarity while maintaining all original information.