The Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google, which it accuses of creating a monopoly in the internet search market, began this week. It’s the most significant tech case in years because it could force the tech giant to sell its Chrome browser, significantly changing the balance of power in Silicon Valley.
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The Justice Department called on Google to sell its web browser and open up its search data to competitors during opening statements at a court hearing earlier this week. Google quickly responded in a blog post, saying such a move would not serve U.S. interests, especially as the race for dominance in artificial intelligence rapidly escalates. Google’s post cited Chinese company DeepSeek as one of its main AI competitors.
Google’s vice president of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, said the Justice Department’s proposal would “make it harder to develop artificial intelligence” and that a government-appointed committee would regulate the design and development of the company’s products. “It would also stifle American innovation at a critical time. We are in a fierce competition with China for next-generation technology leadership, and Google is at the forefront of American companies making scientific and technological breakthroughs,” she added.
Google is one of many tech companies trying to fight back against antitrust efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration, many of which began under the previous president. Earlier this month, Google lost another lawsuit that found the company to have a monopoly in parts of the online advertising market.
Other tech companies, such as Apple, Meta
Platforms, and Amazon, have also been accused of gaining and maintaining monopoly power in various industries. The Federal Trade Commission has accused Meta of monopolizing the social media market, and has questioned the legality of the company’s purchases of Instagram and WhatsApp. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission recently sued Uber, accusing the company of defrauding customers on billing and canceling subscriptions.
As for Google, the company was declared a monopoly in the online search sector in August last year. Now the court is hearing proposals from the parties regarding measures that could change the situation in this segment. The hearings will last for three weeks, and the judge will announce the final decision at the end of the summer. After that, in case of a loss, Google will be able to appeal.
In court, Google plans to argue that Chrome helps people access the internet, and that other developers use the app’s source code. Google believes that the Justice Department’s proposal to open up search data to other companies “will not only create cybersecurity and even national security risks, but will also increase the cost of services for consumers.” Google’s main task is to find a balance between being seen as important to American innovation, but not so important that other companies cannot compete with it.