DOJ and US states cross-appeal Google ruling to force Chrome sale
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a notice to cross-appeal a federal judge’s fall ruling that spared Google from selling its Chrome browser, with a group of states joining the effort as reported by Bloomberg. The move aims to impose harsher penalties following Google’s monopoly determination.
The DOJ’s Antitrust Division announced the cross-appeal plan on X, signaling its intent to challenge Judge Amit Mehta’s decision directly. This action comes after the agency advocated strongly for divestiture of Chrome during the remedies phase of the antitrust case. The browser had been central to DOJ arguments, positioned as a key asset reinforcing Google’s dominance in search.
In his ruling, Mehta rejected the DOJ’s request for forced sale of Chrome. His decision stated, “Plaintiffs overreached in seeking forced divesture of these key assets, which Google did not use to effect any illegal restraints.” Mehta determined that Google had not leveraged the browser to maintain unlawful practices, thus deeming divestiture unnecessary and excessive.
Despite denying the browser sale, Mehta imposed alternative restrictions on Google. These measures include terminating exclusive deals for distributing certain services and mandating the sharing of select search data with competitors. Such requirements target Google’s distribution and data practices without dismantling core assets.
Google responded by filing its own appeal against these imposed restrictions. The company contests the limitations on its business activities, part of the broader antitrust proceedings stemming from the monopoly finding. Through this appeal, Google seeks to reduce the penalties rather than face the more severe remedies pursued by the DOJ.