Alphabet-owned Google should sell its Chrome browser, share data and search results with competitors and take other steps, including possibly selling Android, to end its monopoly on online search, the US Justice Department said.
“Google’s unlawful conduct has deprived competitors not only of critical sales channels, but also of channel partners that could otherwise ensure that competitors enter these markets in new and innovative ways,” the text of the lawsuit reads, which reached the court the day before.
It is also proposed to prohibit Google from re-entering the browser market for five years, buying competitors and entering into contracts to install the default search engine on mobile devices. In addition, there is talk of a possible future sale of the Android operating system and plans to oblige Google to share data with competitors.
Representatives of Google considered such requirements a violation of the authority of the Ministry of Justice and expressed the opinion that their implementation will cause serious damage.
Earlier, the media reported that officials of the US Department of Justice are asking the court to force Google to sell the Chrome browser.
In early August, the District Court of Washington ruled that Google acted as a monopolist in the market of Internet search engines, violating US law. After that, it became known that the Ministry of Justice is considering splitting up the company. Chrome and Android were then named as the most likely assets to be seized.
