Late Friday, Google responded to a U.S. call to sell its Chrome browser, suggesting instead that a judge address antitrust concerns by barring the company from requiring preferential treatment of its software as a condition of licensing.
In a 12-page filing, Google proposed an order that would prevent the internet giant from compelling mobile device manufacturers to offer favorable distribution or default placement of its apps like Chrome, Play, and Gemini.
This comes in contrast to the U.S. government’s request in November, which sought a judge to order Google to sell its widely-used Chrome browser as part of a broader antitrust crackdown. The U.S. Department of Justice also proposed preventing Google from being the default search engine on smartphones and halting its use of the Android mobile operating system to exert dominance.
The next step in this landmark antitrust trial came after U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled in August that Google is a monopoly.
Google’s proposed order asks Judge Mehta to block the company from using the desirability of its applications to pressure mobile device manufacturers to pre-install its search software or make it the default option, according to the court filing.
“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 proposed order states.
The call to break up Google marks a shift in the approach of U.S. regulators, who largely refrained from intervening in tech giants’ operations since their failed attempt to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Regardless of Judge Mehta’s decision, Google is expected to appeal the ruling, potentially extending the legal process for years, with the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court weighing in.
This case could also take a new direction with the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump, who will assume office in January. His administration could alter the leadership of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, leading to different outcomes—whether pursuing a settlement with Google, continuing the case, or dropping it entirely.
The trial, which concluded last year, examined Google’s confidential agreements with smartphone manufacturers, including Apple. These deals involve substantial payments to secure Google’s search engine as the default option on browsers, iPhones, and other devices.
Judge Mehta’s ruling found that this arrangement granted Google unrivaled access to user data, helping the company cement its search engine as a globally dominant platform.
