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Published on 2024-11-23
The United States Department of Justice has issued a sentencing proposal formally requesting that Google sell its web browser Chrome to restore competition in the online search market, which could also extend to the Android operating system. However, this decision would entail various consequences for end users, device manufacturers, and developers.
This ruling is part of the antitrust lawsuit that the United States has been pursuing against Google since September of last year, in which authorities accuse the company from the Alphabet group of harming competition by paying millions of dollars to be the default search engine in web and mobile browsers.
As a result, in August of this year, a U.S. federal court ruled that the company violates antitrust laws with its search engine after determining that it controls approximately 90 percent of the internet search market.
Now, the United States Department of Justice has formally proposed the breakup of Google, requesting that it divest its web browser Chrome and imposing some restrictions on Android to stop favoring its own search engine on devices with this operating system. In the event that these impositions are not effective, the Department of Justice has indicated that the sale of Android could also be demanded.
The intention to split Google had already been proposed months earlier as a possible solution to restore competition in the online search market. However, it is only now that the sale of Chrome has been officially put on the table.
According to the sentencing proposal, this measure will "permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser, which for many users is a gateway to the Internet."
In addition to the sale of Chrome and the restrictions on Android, the agency has proposed halting "emerging competitive threats through acquisitions, minority investments, or partnerships" for a period of ten years. This refers to agreements like the one it has with Apple since 2002, which allows it to be the default search engine in products manufactured by the Cupertino-based company.
POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF THE SEPARATION
Chrome is one of the most widely used web browsers globally; therefore, its sale would directly impact the internet experience since, as media like Engadget point out, more than 60 percent of web interactions begin with a search query, and most are conducted through Google Search.
Additionally, Chrome is also tied to other services of the technology company, such as the ChromeOS operating system for its computers and its Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant, Gemini.
In this context, the company clarified in a statement on its blog that this sale would entail some consequences that would directly harm consumers. According to Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs and Legal Director of Google and Alphabet, the U.S. Department of Justice’s proposal "would destroy a range of Google products, beyond Search, that people love and consider useful in their daily lives."
Specifically, Walker warned that the ability of people to access Google Search would be "deliberately" hindered. Following this line, he stated that selling Chrome and potentially Android to an external company endangers the security and privacy of users, in addition to "undermining" the quality of their products and services across various devices.
This is because part of the conditions of this sale require sharing Google’s innovations and results with unknown national and foreign companies, including users' personal search queries.
He also indicated that this is a measure that would harm other services from external companies, such as Mozilla’s Firefox, which has businesses that depend on "charging Google for search ranking."
Internally, Walker indicated that this sale would force them to reduce their investments in AI development, a technology he has described as "the most important innovation" currently and "where Google plays a leading role."
Moreover, the Google Search experience and other technologies would be relegated to the "micromanagement" of a Technical Committee of the U.S. government, which, according to the company, would grant "enormous power" over the online experience.
Another effect of this possible separation is that Google would have to install two independent selection screens to access Google Search on, for example, a Pixel smartphone. Likewise, the design of these screens would have to be approved by the Technical Committee.
HOW THE SALE OF ANDROID WOULD BE AFFECTED
Regarding the possible sale of Android, it would create a situation that would affect most smartphone manufacturers globally, as they rely on this operating system with some exceptions, such as devices with iOS (Apple) and HarmonyOS Next (Huawei).
For example, if sold to an external company, this company could choose to make changes to the operating system to adapt it to its own services, maintain it as it is, or even charge device manufacturers for its use.
That is, any change in Android would subsequently be reflected in the offering of mobile devices, with manufacturers possibly opting to switch operating systems or develop their own, as already happened with Huawei due to the U.S. blockade. However, this concerns not only smartphone manufacturers but also brands of tablets, smartwatches, or cars, among other products that use this software.
Another affected sector would be developers who, due to the majority use of Android, create most of their applications based on this operating system. However, if conditions change or new environments emerge, this could translate into the development of fewer apps.
With all this, Google has stated that the Department of Justice’s approach "would harm consumers, developers, and small American businesses," therefore, they will present their own proposals on the matter "next month" and their broader case "next year."
For its part, the Department of Justice will present a revised version of its sentencing proposal in early March 2025, according to media outlets like The Verge.
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