Alphabet-owned Google has urged the United States government to reconsider its antitrust measures forcing the company to sell off its products like Chrome and Android, restricting its partnerships, and limiting its ability to use search data.
Making the appeal during a recent meeting between Google executives and officials from President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a source familiar with the matter, the company explained that these proposed remedies could weaken the country’s economy and national security.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is pursuing two major antitrust cases against Google—one targeting monopoly in online search and another focused on its advertising technology.
Prosecutors argue that the tech giant has suppressed competition, including paying billions of dollars to secure its position as the default search engine on Apple’s iPhones.
DOJ’s Proposed Measures
In an attempt to curb Google’s market control, the DOJ has laid out a series of potential remedies, including forcing the company to sell its Chrome web browser and Android operating system.
Prosecutors contend that divesting these products would allow for greater competition and limit Google’s ability to consolidate power across multiple platforms.
Added to these, the agency is pushing for stricter regulations on Google’s partnerships, particularly those that give it exclusive advantages in search and advertising.
Among the proposals is a mandate requiring Google to license its search data to competitors at minimal costs and share user data—except for information protected by privacy laws.
Should these measures prove insufficient, prosecutors have suggested a full divestment of Android, arguing that the operating system has been vital in strengthening Google’s search monopoly.
They also propose barring the company from acquiring smaller search and ad-tech competitors and allowing websites to opt out of having their data used for Google’s artificial intelligence tools.
If approved, the court would appoint a five-member technical committee with broad oversight powers, including access to Google’s internal documents and software code, to ensure compliance.
Google’s Defence
Google has described DOJ’s proposals as extreme and harmful to both consumers and businesses. Kent Walker, Alphabet’s chief legal officer, called the measures a “radical overreach”, warning that they could disrupt essential services and undermine America’s technological leadership.
The company insists that its products, including Chrome and Android, are built on open-source frameworks, benefiting developers and users worldwide.
Walker also pointed out that enforcing these changes could have unintended consequences for third-party organisations, such as Mozilla, which depend on partnerships with Google to sustain their operations.
Google maintains that breaking up its ecosystem could compromise user security and privacy. It has pledged to fight the DOJ’s recommendations and plans to submit counter-proposals in December.
The case is set for trial in April 2025, with a final ruling expected by August. The outcome could be influenced by changes in US antitrust policy under the Trump administration, as experts suggest the new government may soften some of the aggressive regulatory stances adopted under former President Joe Biden.
For now, Google remains locked in the case.
