Google responded to a U.S. government request to sell its Chrome browser, late Friday, while proposing a legal remedy to address antitrust concerns by prohibiting the company from using preferential treatment as a condition for licensing its software.
In a 12-page filing, Google suggested that U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta implement an order barring the tech giant from requiring mobile device makers to give favorable treatment or distribution to its software, such as Chrome, Play, or Gemini, as a condition for licensing.
This move contrasts with the U.S. Department of Justice’s November request, which sought a judicial order compelling Google to sell its Chrome browser as part of a broader antitrust effort against the company.
The Justice Department had called for significant restructuring of Google’s operations, including halting deals that make Google the default search engine on smartphones and curbing its control over the Android operating system.
The case is the next phase of a landmark antitrust trial in which Google was deemed a monopoly by Judge Mehta in August.
In its proposed order, Google suggested that the court prevent it from leveraging its popular apps licensing terms to pressure mobile device manufacturers into pre-installing its search engine or making it the default.
The proposed order reads, “Nothing in this Final Judgment shall otherwise prohibit Google from providing consideration to a mobile device manufacturer or wireless carrier with respect to any Google product or service in exchange for such entity’s distribution, placement on any access point, promotion, or licensing of that Google product or service.”
The Justice Department’s call for Google to be broken up marks a significant shift in U.S. antitrust policy, especially since regulators have refrained from aggressively targeting tech giants since the failed attempt to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Despite the government’s efforts, Google is expected to appeal any decision from Judge Mehta, which could delay resolution for years and may ultimately require intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The case’s outcome could also be influenced by the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, which may choose to continue, settle, or abandon the antitrust case.
The trial, which concluded last year, focused on Google’s confidential agreements with smartphone
AFP
