In a blog post, Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs, said the remedies would:
“.. break a range of Google products — even beyond Search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives.”
Walker adds:
“DOJ’s approach would result in unprecedented government overreach that would harm American consumers, developers, and small businesses — and jeopardize America’s global economic and technological leadership at precisely the moment it’s needed most.”
Google raises the following concerns about the DOJ’s plan:
It would require disclosing users’ personal search queries to “unknown foreign and domestic companies.”
It could endanger security and privacy by forcing the sale of Chrome and Android
It may “chill” investment in artificial intelligence where Google is a leader.
Next Steps
The recent court filings are part of the DOJ’s antitrust case against Google, which started in October 2020 with help from several state attorneys.
In September, Judge Amit Mehta found that Google had broken antitrust laws to keep its search and search advertising monopolies. This ruling will lead to a phase where solutions to restore competition will be discussed.
Both sides are expected to present detailed proposals for these solutions in the coming months, with a hearing planned for next year.
The outcome could significantly affect Google’s business model and the online advertising market.
Featured Image: JarTee/Shutterstock