Earlier in August, US courts ruled that Google is an illegal monopolybut did not take any sanctions. Now the Justice Department is setting some pretty ambitious goals, the most demanding of which would require Google to sell Chrome.

The drama dates back to Google search and the company’s decision to pay billions to Apple and other Internet browser developers to make Google their default search engine. If you were there during Microsoft antitrust case on Internet Explorer in 2001, it was a similar agreement here, with both companies accused of anti-competitive behavior and threatened with dissolution.

The Microsoft split never came to fruition, with the government opting instead to settle with the Windows maker, but for now at least it appears the DOJ is going after Google with all its might.

In a 23 page document filed Wednesday afternoon, the DOJ recommended that the courts require Google to sell the Chrome browser, and possibly Android, if the company does not comply with restrictions that would prevent Google from favoring its own search tools within the system. mobile operation. This move is a bit surprising, as neither product is directly related to the key issue of Google paying other companies to prioritize Google Search within their ecosystems.

Why does the government want Google to sell Chrome?

Defending its aggressive proposal, the DOJ says breaking up Google would also have the desired effect, saying the sale of Chrome “will permanently end Google’s control over this critical search access point and enable competing search engines to access the browser only for many users. is a gateway to the Internet.

In other words, if Chrome is no longer associated with Google, it will no longer have any incentive to default to Google Search, perhaps giving other search engines a chance to get their foot in the door. door of what has become the default Internet browser for many. .

At the same time, it wouldn’t stop Google from simply continuing to pay browser makers (including potential new Chrome owners). The DOJ is therefore also asking the government to prohibit the company from offering compensation (monetary or otherwise) to the browser. creators to make Google the default search engine in their browsers.

Likewise, the DOJ restrictions would also prevent Google from prioritizing its search tools within Gemini or other platforms to which it maintains access, and would require Google to make data such as search results and ranking signals accessible to other companies at “marginal cost, and on an ongoing basis” for at least a decade.

Finally, the company should allow websites to prevent their data from being used in AI insights without being punished in search rankings.

What does Google think of all this?

In a blog post Responding to DOJ inquiries, Google President of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer Kent Walker called the proposal “completely over the top.”

Walker accuses the DOJ of skirting the issue to pursue “a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and their global technological leadership.” Specifically, Google says these requirements would “break a line of Google products,” introducing security risks, multiple-choice pop-ups, and rules that would “deliberately hinder people’s ability to access Google Search.” The company also warns that such monitoring could “curb our investments in artificial intelligence” or force Google to disclose data to “unknown foreign and domestic companies,” including “Americans’ personal search queries.” Google said the proposal would also affect companies like Mozilla, the nonprofit maker of Firefox, which Walker said “depends on charging Google for search placement.”

Will Google sell Chrome?

Despite Walker’s concerns, the consequences of Google’s lawsuit are still far from known. The DOJ’s proposal is still in its early stages, with a revised version planned for March, before legal proceedings kick off in April. Google says it will file its own proposals next month and, regardless of the court’s outcome, a call is still on the board. As with Microsoft at the turn of the millennium, it is still possible that Google will avoid a breakup.

Although the DOJ’s proposal is tougher than expected, it’s also not uncommon to ask for more than one wants in debates, so expect to see finer details in the spring of the year next.

What happens if Google sells Chrome?

Should you be concerned if the DOJ proposal is accepted and Google is forced to sell Chrome or change its products? For now, it’s difficult to say, although the DOJ’s requests mention the creation of an oversight committee that would likely ease the transition.

Despite Google’s doomsaying, the most immediate effect you’re likely to see as a consumer is greater choice, although perhaps at the cost of more inconvenience. Google products will be less likely to flow naturally into each other, with a few extra pop-ups appearing when setting up a Pixel smartphone, for example. But on the other hand, you’ll probably also be able to adjust your default settings without delving into the settings as much as you need to do now.

As for Chrome, it’s possible that a sale could help counter Google Search’s dominance in the market, although a Google-free version of the browser could see features like native Google Lens support dropped , which would make it less useful. Likewise, user data might be less secure in the hands of another company, even if Google’s track record isn’t exactly impeccable there.

What happens next?

Perhaps the biggest downside to the Google trial is that it will take place under a new administration. While the Biden White House applauded the courts’ decision to label Google an illegal monopolyPresident-elect Trump’s position on the issue is less clear. While the DOJ case against Google was filed during the final months of Trump’s first term, Trump also suggested in the past that his administration could seek to make Google “fairer” without “breaking” it.

For now, the best way for Chrome and Android users to protect their data is to keep an eye on the trial once it begins in April.