The US government late Wednesday asked a judge to order the dismantling of Google by selling its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the internet giant. Justice officials “chose to push a radical interventionist agenda,” Google president of global affairs Kent Walker said in response to the filing. These deals involve substantial payments to secure Google’s search engine as the default option on browsers, iPhones, and other devices. The judge determined that this arrangement provided Google with unparalleled access to user data, enabling it to develop its search engine into a globally dominant platform. From this position, Google expanded its tech and data-gathering empire to include the Chrome browser, Maps, and the Android smartphone operating system.

Source: Punch November 21, 2024 21:43 UTC