Google warns: the Department of Justice proposal would put US global technological leadership at risk

Google breaks its silence on the proposal of the US Department of Justice, which seeks to ask a federal judge for an order to get rid of its flagship browser, Chrome, owned by Alphabet.

In a move that Google has called “extremely interventionist,” the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has unveiled a proposal in its antitrust case that the company says could have devastating effects on consumers, the tech industry, and competitiveness. overall of the country.

The DOJ is seeking solutions to Google’s alleged monopoly in search distribution deals, such as those it has with Apple, Mozilla and smartphone makers. However, instead of focusing on those agreements, the DOJ is proposing measures that Google considers drastic, such as forcing the sale of its Chrome browser and, potentially, its Android operating system.

Broad and controversial impacts

Google warns that the DOJ’s actions go beyond the limits established by the court and could:

• Compromise security and privacy of millions of users, exposing even personal search queries to unknown companies.
• Harming innovation in artificial intelligencean area where Google is a leader, by drastically reducing investment.
• Harm technological allies like Mozilla, whose income depends on its commercial relationship with Google.
• Impose unnecessary barriers users by requiring complicated processes, such as multiple selection screens to access Google Search.
• Establish government micromanagement through a “Technical Committee” with unprecedented power over Google products.

Google’s response

The company argues that its search engine is the most reliable and highest quality, backed by the trust of hundreds of millions of daily users. It states that the DOJ’s actions would not only harm consumers and developers, but would also undermine America’s economic and technological leadership at a critical time.

Google will present its own proposals next month and will continue to defend its position in a process that promises to extend into the next year. Meanwhile, the debate raises broader questions about the relationship between government regulation and technological innovation in an era dominated by artificial intelligence and digital services.

This dispute, beyond being a legal case, could redefine the future of the technology sector in the United States and its role in the global economy.

Google control

According to prosecutors, Chrome plays a key role in Google’s ecosystem, allowing the company to control how users access the Internet and view advertising. With an estimated market share of two-thirds worldwide, the browser also represents a strategic resource for Google’s advertising business, which also makes use of data collected from users during browsing to personalize ads.

Google, through a statement issued by its vice president of regulatory relations Lee-Anne Mulholland, criticized the Justice Department’s initiative, calling it part of a “radical agenda” which, in its opinion, would go far beyond the legal issues raised by the case. The company maintains that any spin-off would harm consumers and is convinced that its dominant position in the search market is the result of quality of its products, not of anti-competitive practices.