Following a judge’s ruling that Google is a monopoly, the DOJ offered suggestions on how to reform the company. Meanwhile, Google has a long history of bias against conservatives. Will these changes help to rid the company of its bias and leftist influence?

From AP News. U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.

View Comments (0)

Get involved in state-level prayer with IFA.

The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter Google’s business, including possibly spinning off the Chrome web browser and syndicating its search data to competitors. Even if the courts adopt the blueprint, Google isn’t likely to make any significant changes until 2026 at the earliest, because of the legal system’s slow-moving wheels. …

What is the Justice Department’s goal?

Federal prosecutors are cracking down on Google in a case originally filed during near the end of then-President Donald Trump’s first term. Officials say the main goal of these proposals is to get Google to stop leveraging its dominant search engine to illegally squelch competition and stifle innovation. …

It’s still possible that the Justice Department could ease off on its attempts to break up Google, especially if President-elect Donald Trump takes the widely expected step of replacing Jonathan Kanter, who was appointed by President Joe Biden to oversee the agency’s antitrust division.

Why focus on Chrome?

Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser …

Justice lawyers called Chrome a “gateway to the internet” that provides the search giant with data it then uses for targeted advertising. Regulators believe that asking Google to divest Chrome would create a more equal playing field for search competitors.

Chrome also is included in the set of apps bundled with Android on phones as part of a mobile device ecosystem that regulators say gives Google a big edge.

Chrome is the world’s most popular mobile web browser, with about 67% adoption globally, according to StatCounter. …

What else?

The Justice Department outlined a range of behavioral measures to give rival search engines a better chance at competing with Google.

The core remedy is a ban on Google from cutting deals worth billions of dollars to lock in its search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other popular devices. …

What comes next?

Google has the chance to submit its own list of proposed fixes in December, and federal regulators will file a revised version of their proposals in early March. Court hearings on these proposed measures are scheduled to begin in April and Mehta is expected to issue a final decision before Labor Day. …

Google is expected to appeal the case after the remedy hearings, which means the case could drag on for years in the courts.

Share your prayers for Google and about the DOJ’s suggestions below.

(Excerpt from AP News. Photo Credit: sarah b on Unsplash)