Alphabet’s Google and the U.S. Department of Justice will deliver final arguments Friday in a landmark antitrust case that could force major structural changes at the tech giant, including a possible sale of its Chrome browser.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states are seeking a range of remedies to curb Google’s dominance in online search. Proposed measures include forcing Google to divest Chrome, banning multibillion-dollar payments to smartphone makers and wireless carriers that set Google as the default search engine, and requiring the company to share search data with rivals.
The case, overseen by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, follows a ruling last year that found Google illegally maintains a monopoly in online search and search advertising. Mehta is expected to issue a decision on the proposed remedies by August.
If Chrome is ordered to be sold, OpenAI could be a potential buyer. Nick Turley, product head for ChatGPT at OpenAI, told the court that the company would be interested in acquiring the browser and emphasized that access to Google’s search data would significantly improve the accuracy and timeliness of AI-generated responses.
Google has argued that the remedies proposed go beyond what the court’s findings justify and would unfairly benefit its competitors by handing over key technology. The company also noted it has already taken steps to loosen restrictions in some of its agreements, including with Samsung Electronics, to allow for greater integration of competing search and AI products.
The DOJ maintains that these steps are insufficient and is asking the court to impose broader restrictions, including a full ban on default-placement payments.
The outcome of this trial could reshape how search engines operate and influence how emerging AI companies compete in the broader information access ecosystem.
