Google’s antitrust case with the Department of Justice has come to an actionable stage, and soon, Google Chrome might be on sale in the market.
The Google vs Department of Justice antitrust case has been lingering for over a year now. The primary allegation that Google holds an illegal monopoly on online search has finally come to an actionable conclusion. The Department of Justice will recommend that US District Judge Amit Mehta, in Wednesday's filing, order Chrome to be sold as part of ending its monopoly through divesting initiatives.
If the DOJ succeeds in pushing the decision in its favor, Google Chrome may soon be available for purchase on the open market for $15-20 Billion. The price band is being considered on the basis of over 3 billion monthly active users Google already has, as it will provide the buyer with a market-ready product with over 16 years of evolution undertaken.
Other remedies that federal government officials want to recommend will require a thorough breakdown of Google’s entire search business. Justice Amit Mehta ruled in August against Google, stating that the organization illegally held a monopoly over online search. The ruling’s concrete nature indicates a strong possibility of approval for Google Chrome’s selloff.
Currently, Chrome controls over 61% of the online search market share. According to the sources involved in the matter, the company has implemented unlawful practices to prevent other players from entering the market. One instance of the allegation is that Google manipulates the search results for alternate search engines on its platform.
The only way to prevent an immediate selloff of Google’s biggest monopoly division is to provide immediate and satisfying remedies to prevent the dominance of the online search market.
The DOJ continues to push a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case. The government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers, and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed
Google Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland.
While buying the business may look like a great opportunity for near rivals, the existing antitrust scrutiny will make the new owner go through a rigorous evaluation process and revamp initiatives before bringing the product back online. Simply put, the new owner will not be able to leverage the revenue and profitability that Google generated through its practices. As a result, other web browsers may become a better investment opportunity due to their increase in online search market share.
