Federal authorities demand Google to dispose of Chrome browser to dismantle its search monopoly.
In a landmark decision, the European Commission has proposed a series of sanctions against Google, aiming to address antitrust concerns and promote competition in the technology sector.
The proposed judgment, which follows an antitrust case won earlier this year by federal and state prosecutors, is seen as a radical interventionist agenda by Google, according to the company's press release. The sanctions include potential divestitures of Google's Android mobile operating system business and its Chrome internet browser.
Google's Android operating system is used by billions of devices worldwide, while Chrome has more than 60 percent of the market share in the browser industry, making it a dominant player in both sectors. The proposal requires Google to be more transparent with advertisers about how their ads perform on its search engine and search ads for a period of 10 years.
The sanctions also impose "behavioral remedies" on Google's Android operating system business to prevent it from walling off competition in the search business. The proposal requires Google to make its search index available at a marginal cost to competitors and provide them with data about user search behavior and search ads for the same period.
The judgment also prohibits Google from making deals with third parties that require them to make Google the default search engine on their service or platform. A technical committee would be created to monitor Google's implementation of the sanctions.
The authority behind the proposed judgment is the European Commission, which has the power to ban Google from re-entering the browser market for five years if the company has to sell its Chrome browser. The Commission's action follows an argument that Google had been operating an illegal monopoly over internet search and advertising.
Google has expressed concerns that the proposed judgment would harm its products and America's global technology leadership. The company has not yet announced whether it will appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, Apple's Safari browser serves around 20 percent of the market, providing a potential opportunity for growth in the sector. The proposed judgment does not rule out the possibility that Google might need to sell its Android operating system business altogether.
The implications of the decision are far-reaching, with potential ramifications for the technology industry as a whole. The proposed final judgment for Google includes a ban on the company selling the Chrome browser for five years and a prohibition on re-entering the browser market during this period, as well as the DOJ's proposed judgment to require Google to provide its search data to competitors for 10 years.
Judge Amit Mehta's ruling in the case found that Google's search engine captures more than 89 percent of all search queries, highlighting the company's dominance in the market. The decision marks a significant step towards promoting competition and preventing monopolies in the technology sector.
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