Google on Friday urged a federal judge to reject a proposal requiring the tech giant to spin off its Chrome browser, arguing such a move would damage innovation and fail to increase competition in online search.
Pushback against divestiture
During final arguments in a high-profile antitrust case, Google attorney John Schmidtlein told US District Court Judge Amit Mehta that there was no evidence users would switch search engines without the company's exclusivity deals. He highlighted that Verizon installed Chrome on phones despite owning Yahoo! and lacking contractual obligations with Google.
"Of the 100 or so witnesses heard at trial, not one said 'if I had more flexibility, I would have installed Bing'," Schmidtlein said.
DoJ seeks structural remedies
Department of Justice attorney David Dahlquist argued that Google’s contracts — including billion-dollar deals with Apple to make Chrome the default browser — have stifled market choice. “Apple repeatedly asked for more flexibility” but was denied, Dahlquist noted.
The Justice Department is urging Mehta to impose sweeping remedies, including barring such contracts and potentially requiring Google to spin off Chrome or even its Android operating system.
Global impact and AI concerns
Schmidtlein warned that divesting Chrome, used by 80% of its users outside the US, would carry global consequences. "Any divested Chrome would be a shadow of the current Chrome," he said.
The dispute unfolds as Google and rivals like Microsoft and Perplexity race to dominate AI-powered search. DoJ attorney Adam Severt emphasized the goal is not to cripple Google but ensure fair competition. “We’re not looking to kneecap Google,” he said. “But we are looking to make sure someone can compete with Google.”
Judge Mehta’s decision on remedies is expected to reshape the future of online search and tech competition.
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
